badly needed a hug, but i was the daughter who wiped her own tears and kept on going like i was fine the whole time. i never really said much about how i felt because i didn't want to bother anyone or make them worry about me. sometimes, i wished someone would notice that i wasn't okay. but i got used to being the one who had to stay strong and figure everything out on my own. i learned to be my own comfort. i thought maybe people expected me to be strong all the time, so i just kept going, acting like i was okay, even when all i wanted was for someone to hold me for a little while and tell me i don't have to face it all alone.