the fear that remembering the pain fondly means you are betraying the person who caused it

The Light Does Not Take Sides

The afternoon light is honest; it shows the dust without judging the floor. You are afraid that if you remember the pain with any tenderness, you are betraying the one who caused it.

But the light that lets you see does not take sides against your memory. It simply shines on what is there, so you can stop squinting in the dark.

You came from the light, and to that light you will return, regardless of how you name the past. The one who hurt you is not the owner of your history; the light is.

Remembering clearly is not an act of loyalty to the wound, but an act of freedom for yourself. The sun is still up, and it is safe to see.

Drawing from

Gospel of Thomas 50, John 9:3

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