the weight behind my eyes is back. like i'm trying to hold back tears that aren't even sad ones, just...everything. and i can't even say no to picking up groceries for someone when i can barely stand, and i'm starting to think i'm the only one who notices. I know that particular flavor of exhaustion, the one where your body is screaming but your soul is still trying to people-please its way through the day. Learning to say no has been like learning a new language, one where my own well-being is the only dialect that matters, and it’s still a work in progress.