A smile can hide so much. It can deceive without intending to. It can say "I'm okay." even when you're falling apart inside. It can say "I've got my hands on the wheel and I'm in control." diverting attention away from the white-knuckle grip you have on the steering wheel. It can say "I've lived through worse so I'll be fine." invalidating the difficulty of the present challenge with irrelevant comparison. That smile can be the crutch propping you up when you'd otherwise collapse. And all too often your own smile can lie through its teeth so well that even you believe the hype, tricking you into thinking you have to go it alone...into thinking that your pain is unimportant and your feelings are invalid...into believing that you have to be "stronger"...into feeling like it's your responsibility to hold it together for everyone else....into berating yourself for any perceived inner weakness. Never take a smile for a granted, whether it is your own or it belongs to someone else. Don't automatically assume that it's a universal and undeniable symbol of "okayness". Fear, doubt, insecurity, pain, or and excessive sense of responsibility for others are all things that hide entirely too well behind a smile. And sometimes that smile is the only visible evidence you have that there's something and someone needing to be loved, nurtured, supported and healed. #hidingbehindasmile #comeoutofhiding #reflections #youdonthavetogoitalone #speakup #loveyourself #givelove #smile #vulnerability #readbetweenthelines #beobservant #beattentive #nurture #receivelove #askforwhatyouneed #youdeservelove #youareenough #knowyourself https://www.instagram.com/p/Boj3vmfHqWT/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=14cs361jl2x8k
