The Mirror I Avoided

There was a mirror in my hallway I stopped looking into.

I didn’t like what I saw — tired eyes, messy hair, a version of me that looked… disappointed.

One morning, running late, I caught a glimpse anyway.

And for once, I didn’t flinch. I didn’t adjust my hair or angle my face.

I just looked.

And she looked back, like she’d been waiting for me to notice that she wasn’t as bad as I’d imagined.

Maybe healing starts when you stop editing your reflection.