I don't know how long I will lament the life I never had the courage to live.
Most of the bad things that have happened to me I have overcome. Loss, death, tragedy. I have understood, I have learned, I have grown. Time passes, these things hurt less.
On the other hand, the pain that comes from hiding, lying to myself and others, suppressing how I feel and who I want to be, the disconnect between what my life is and how I wish I could live, the experiences I hoped I would have had by now - this grows with time. Authenticity has a price that I am not comfortable paying. Some people have the freedom, some people are brave, some people are supported. Some people are like me, with none of those things. And yet, some of them still live their truths and be who they are meant to be, even if they lack the freedom, strength, courage, and support of others.
I am not one of them. This grief may follow me for life.











