AFTER THE DUST SETTLES

 

March will end quietly for me.

Not with celebration,
not with grand declarations
about becoming someone new.

Just the simple understanding
that I am still here
after everything.

There were days when I felt smaller
inside my own life —
speaking less, explaining more,
trying to fit my heart
into places that were not made for it.

I learned that healing is not a straight road.

Some mornings I woke up
and felt strong for no reason.
Other mornings carried the old weight
like it had never left.

But I kept going anyway.

I stopped trying to be the person
everyone expected me to be.

I allowed myself to be tired.
To be unsure.
To move slower than the world wanted.

I am learning that growth does not always feel powerful.

Sometimes it feels like letting go of noise
you once thought was part of love.

Now I sit with my life differently.
Not rushing to fill silence.
Not forcing happiness to arrive early.
Just watching the dust settle
after the long walking,
and feeling grateful
that I am still standing
in the place I chose to stay.