I survived a year that no one truly saw. A year lived quietly, carrying weight I didn't have words for. There were moments that rattled me to my core. Situations that made my hands shake. Battles I fought alone, in rooms where no one knew I was breaking. I swallowed truths I couldn't explain. Held pain I didn't yet understand. Watched people walk away while stories replaced my silence. I sat with confusion. With loss. With disappointment that hollowed me out. I lived with the ache of being misunderstood-of knowing who I was, and still being seen as something I wasn't. Some days, staying upright took everything I had. This year bent me in ways I never imagined. It took parts of me. and forged others. And even though it hurt-I made it through. Quietly. Barely. But honestly. And now, with a tired heart and a steadier breath, I'm grateful this chapter is ending.