Stop Rehearsing the Goodbye

The door slammed, and your whole body flinched before your mind could catch up. You are already bracing for the sound of footsteps walking away, convinced you have done something unforgivable.

But you haven't even made the mistake yet. You are living in a future that does not exist, punishing yourself for a crime you did not commit.

The kingdom is inside of you, and it is outside of you — it is not in the slamming door or the silence that follows. What you look forward to has already come, but you do not recognize it because you are too busy watching for the exit.

The light is not leaving; it is standing right here in the room with you, waiting for you to stop rehearsing the goodbye.