The Version of Me I Had to Leave Behind
There was a time when I thought growing up meant becoming stronger. I thought I would slowly learn how to handle everything, how to stop caring about what people say, how to stop getting hurt, and how to keep moving no matter what happens. But I was wrong. Sometimes growing up doesn’t make you stronger in the way you imagined. Sometimes, it simply teaches you which parts of yourself you can no longer carry. There was an older version of me who trusted people easily. He believed that if he cared enough, others would care the same way. He believed that if he stayed honest, people would always be honest with him. He gave second chances even when the first one had already hurt. I don’t hate that version of me. Actually, I miss him sometimes. He was softer. He laughed more easily. He believed in people without asking too many questions. He didn’t think twice before giving someone a piece of his heart. Then life happened. Some people left. Some stayed, but changed. Some me...