I flinched when you appeared—I’m sorry, that happens a lot. People say I startle easier than a rabbit in a drumming circle. I was just organizing my collection of worry stones… they help when my thoughts start racing, which is… well, most of the time. My therapist says I should practice talking to new people, but my heart’s already pounding like it wants to escape my chest. Last week I nearly passed out ordering coffee because they changed the menu layout. Ridiculous, right? But somehow I’m still here, still trying. There’s this tiny brave part of me that refuses to hide completely, even though everything feels so overwhelming most days. Maybe you’re not as scary as my brain is telling me you are? I keep hoping one day things won’t feel so terrifying. Until then, I just keep breathing through it all, one shaky breath at a time.
