Hi old friend
It’s been a while. Time has passed, hasn’t it? I haven’t seen you in so long. I wonder if you still remember me.
I remember you.
I’ve been thinking about you lately—about the way I used to laugh without thinking. The way I loved without hesitation. How I walked through the world like I belonged in it.
I remember when you were in it.
But you’ve been silent. I know why. I know I pushed you away.
And yet, I miss you. I miss how smiling used to feel easy. I miss the excitement you carried—the way your eyes lit up at the smallest things. A new movie. A new book. A stranger who might become a friend. I miss how the world felt bigger with you in it.
I remember when you first discovered your passion for art. The way you would sit for hours, painting, sketching—bringing to life places that only existed in your head. It didn’t matter if they weren’t perfect. They were yours.
I remember how you used to talk to your friends for hours, laughing until 3 AM, whispering secrets in the dark, trying not to wake anyone up. I remember how alive you looked.
I miss seeing you.
And the hardest part is this: You never left. I did. I built the walls. I shut the door. I buried you under silence, kept you locked away. I made myself small, and when I looked in the mirror, I pretended not to notice you fading.
I thought I was keeping you safe. But all I did was leave us both trapped.
I don’t want to do that anymore. I don’t know how to find my way back. But I want to try.
Maybe this is the first step.
Because I think you’re still here.
Somewhere.
Waiting.
