I think I am staying because I am scared, not because it is right

Dear Delyara, I keep using practical reasons. The money. The timing. The children. The uncertainty. The housing. The market. The risk. And maybe all of those are valid. I’m not denying that. But underneath them, I suspect there is something simpler and uglier. Fear. Fear of starting again. Fear of being seen trying and not succeeding. Fear of looking unstable. Fear of making a brave decision and then being punished for it financially or emotionally. Fear of discovering that the life I imagine is harder to build than it was to fantasise. I don’t think I’m only stuck. I think I’m scared and calling it wisdom because that sounds more respectable.