i had every right to be angry yet i swallowed it like it was my fault. i stayed quiet even when it hurt inside. i told myself it was better to be calm than to be called hard to deal with. so i let things pass and said it was okay, even when it was not. i tried to keep the peace by making myself less, by ignoring what i truly felt. i kept choosing silence because i was afraid of being misunderstood or left behind. i thought love meant being patient even when it hurt me. but now i see that wasn't fair to myself. my feelings are real and they matter too. i can speak up, be kind, and still choose myself without feeling bad.