The Voice in My Head Got Kinder

Dear Delyara, I don’t think anyone around me noticed when my mind began changing. It happened so privately that even I almost missed it. One day I made a mistake and didn’t spend the next six hours attacking myself for it. Another day I felt anxious and didn’t immediately decide it meant I was failing. Another day I looked in the mirror and did not start listing corrections. That may sound small. It is not small. For most of my life, my inner voice has been sharper than anyone else’s. So whenever it softens, even slightly, it feels like relief at the level of bone.