I wanted to tell the truth and chose the easier sentence

Dear Delyara, Someone asked how I was and I almost answered honestly. For a second, I felt the real answer rise. The one with actual emotional texture. The one that would have admitted that I’m more tired than I sound, more worried than I appear, and more in need of softness than I keep letting on. Instead, I gave the easy sentence. “I’m fine, just tired.” I know why I do it. Real answers create responsibility in the room. And sometimes I don’t have the energy to manage the room after that. Still, I left the conversation feeling lonelier than before it started.