I stood in front of the mirror and looked more tired than I felt willing to admit

Dear Delyara, There are times when the face tells the truth first. I caught my reflection tonight and saw more wear in it than I had fully accepted all day. Not only sleep-tired. Inner-life tired. The kind that shows up around the eyes, in the stillness of the face, in the way a person looks as if they’ve been carrying more than they’ve been saying. I think I had been calling the day “fine” because that was easier than calling it heavy. My face disagreed. Maybe the body always knows before pride is ready. That feels true tonight.