I have notes I’ve been keeping on my phone, emailing to myself at midnight. Sometimes I can’t sleep—the city air warming up so quickly, too soon. Street lamps filter through my blinds like the dawn as my fingers find the phone on my nightstand. I flip onto my stomach, open a new email, tap at the glowing screen.
The notes read:
You do not always have to be the most sensitive version of yourself. You are allowed to put up walls around your house, temporarily guard the softness inside you, and protect yourself from the world’s sharpness.
You can set your emotions aside now and then. Some people may not agree with my advice, but I’d argue sensitive living requires careful balance and knowing when to put your feelings to bed like tired babies.
You shouldn’t need permission, but sometimes it can feel better when we’re guided through the door. It’s okay to empty yourself out and simply be, to refuse to process every thought and feeling. How good it feels to just be.
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