The Part People Didn’t See

I think one of the hardest parts about everything that happened is that people only saw reactions.

They didn’t stop to ask what happened before I started falling apart.

I wasn’t just grieving my dad.

My nervous system stopped understanding what safety even felt like anymore.

And even through all of that, I still tried to show up for people.

Especially my mom.

But eventually it became more than I could carry alone.

People saw distance and assumed indifference.

But they didn’t see the guilt I carried every single day.

Through all of it, Honey became my safe place.

She stayed beside me through grief, fear, instability, and survival mode.

Sometimes the people trying hardest to survive are hurting quietly.