The Embrace Before The Apology

The mask feels heavy right now, doesn't it? You are performing okayness while inside, you are terrified that if you stop being useful, you will cease to matter.

But the light does not love you for what you carry. It loves you for who you are.

There is a father who saw his son coming home from a long way off. He ran.

Before the apology, before the speech — he ran. The embrace came first.

The utility came last. Your worth is not a wage you earn by serving others.

It is a gift that was placed inside you before you ever did a single thing. You could lay down every tool you own, and the light would still call you friend.

The terror says you must perform to be kept. The truth says you are kept so you can finally stop performing.