of course, i can do it alone. i'm the daughter who never vents to her parents. i'm the woman who wipes her own tears, and keeps moving like everything is fine. i'm the friend who listens but rarely asks for help, the shoulder people lean on, and the one who carries other people's pain while hiding her own. i celebrate my wins alone, learn from my losses alone, and even when i feel tired, i rise again. yes, i can do it all by myself, but sometimes i wonder what it's like to have someone who cares for me, too.