Pain They Chose Not to See

Pain, this is something we all feel, some more than others. It can be physical or emotional. When the “some” complain too much, others begin to doubt. Is she really in pain, or is this some kind of trick? Do his symptoms match the truth?

They start to question. They wonder, Should I believe or not? Eventually, they choose to ignore it and act as if nothing happened.

Meanwhile, the “some” begin to wonder too. Will they believe me, or ignore me like my pain is nothing? Don’t tell them about this one, they think, only bother them with the most painful ones. Leave the rest and pray they care.

After some time the “some” stop complaining and start keeping ALL their pain inside. They start to doubt themselves, maybe I am just overeating, or something’s wrong with me. Maybe everyone else is right and I am exaggerating. So, they learn to smile through it, to nod when asked if they’re okay, to say “it’s nothing” even when it is everything.

Pain doesn’t disappear when it’s ignored, it just changes shape. It settles quietly into their hearts, heavy but unseen. It shows up in tired eyes, and nights spent staring at the ceiling, thinking, why does it still hurt if I never speak about it? The world praises them for being strong now, for no longer “complaining,” unaware that the suffering just became quiet.

On the outside, nothing seems wrong. If no one can see it, does it even count? The “some” become experts at carrying it alone, measuring which pain is worthy of concern and which must be swallowed whole. This one isn’t bad enough, they tell themselves. Save it for later but that ‘later’ never comes.

The cycle continues, not from weakness, but from fear, fear of disbelief, and fear of burdening others. So, I’ll stay quiet, they decide. At least silence can’t question me.