Photo by Randy Jacob on Unsplash

This year, I’ve learned that family isn’t just about blood. You don’t have to be best friends with all your relatives; it’s about those who show genuine interest in you, as you do in them. We might find ourselves confined as children to a life and environment not of our choosing, but I’m learning that the temporary loneliness, the weight that bears down on you, is worth it until you find your own tribe.

I’ve learned that we often compromise who we are, even hide from reality if necessary, just to escape being alone with ourselves. But the truth is, wherever you go, there you are. You can never escape yourself; perhaps you can deny it, but that’s just pretending, putting on a facade. The false idea that burying your head in the sand will suddenly stop the world from revolving is just that — false.

I once saw a man on America’s Got Talent with a tattoo that read “No Excuses,” and it struck a chord with me, especially now as an ‘adult.’ I keep reflecting on the things I’ve been putting off, making excuses for, then sitting with regret, wondering why I didn’t just start. I don’t need to be perfect, so why didn’t I just begin? It’s not the trial and error that haunts me, to be honest; it’s the “whys” of not starting. That voice, mixed with regret, is like a shadow that becomes even more powerful at night, just before you fall asleep.

We are our own cages, our own damnation. The world can hurt us, wound us even, but we have the power to destroy ourselves. So, choose yourself every day, because really, if you don’t, no one else will.

Echoes of Solitude

Go on your own journey

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