A Parliament of Selves

I used to believe I had to outgrow every part of myself that no longer fit. Years passed before I realized they never asked to be forgotten. They stayed quietly, holding the dreams I couldn't carry, the fears I couldn't name, and the tenderness I thought I had lost. Looking back, I don't see strangers anymore. I see the same person trying to make sense of life with whatever heart they had at the time. I think we've been walking together all along.