the exhaustion of holding your breath so no one hears you cry

You Do Not Have to Hold Your Breath

The day is closing its heavy eyes, and the silence of the house feels less like peace and more like a held breath. You have spent hours making sure no one hears you cry, tightening your chest until the ache is the only thing left.

But the light does not need you to be quiet to find you. It sees through the mask you wear for the world and loves the face beneath it.

There is a father who saw his son coming home from a long way off — before the apology, before the speech, he ran. He did not wait for the tears to stop.

He ran to meet them. You do not have to hold your breath anymore.

The darkness is gathering, yes, but the light is already inside the room, waiting for you to exhale.

Drawing from

Luke, 1 John

Verses

Luke 15:20, 1 John 3:20

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