There is the version of us that everyone sees. The one we allow the world to see. This person laughs easily and cracks jokes. They hold conversations effortlessly and look like they are doing just fine.
Then there is another person inside us. The one no one knows. This one does not laugh as easily. This one sits in silence long after the noise is gone. This one carries a heaviness that does not show on the outside.
We live between these two versions. We wake up and choose the one the world expects. We respond to meaningless WhatsApp messages, go to work, and show up for people. We keep things moving. But underneath, there is a quiet struggle that rages every day.
The hardest part is that no one sees it. Not because people don’t care, but because we have learned how to hide it well. So, the world keeps treating us like we are okay, and we keep playing along.
We all have this other person. Over time, this person begins to control the affairs of both beings. And one day, there is no more energy left to switch back.
