Dear Anxiety,

Some days, fighting you feels too heavy.
Some days, carrying all this fear, all this tension, all this weight — feels like too much.

And on those days, I don’t want advice.
I don’t want affirmations.
I don’t want to hear how strong I am.

I just need to cry.

Not because I’m weak.
Not because I’m giving up.
But because crying is a release that my body, my heart, and my soul sometimes desperately need.

I don’t owe you constant strength, Anxiety.
I don’t owe you constant toughness.
I don’t have to be a warrior every single second.

Some days, I’m just a human who’s tired.
Who’s scared.
Who’s overwhelmed.

And today, I let myself cry.
Without shame.
Without judgment.
Without apology.

Because healing doesn’t always look brave.
Sometimes it just looks like tears falling quietly in the dark —
and still waking up tomorrow to try again.

I’m not weak for crying.
I’m strong because I let myself feel.

And no matter how many tears fall,
you still don’t break me.

— Shanice