You have every right to be cruel. The world hurt you. People betrayed you. You could become cold. You could return the pain. But you do not. Because being kind is not a weakness. It is a choice. And choosing kindness in a world that taught you to be hard is the bravest thing you will ever do.
Before my parents divorced, my mother was the happiest woman I knew.
She sang while cooking, danced around the living room, and laughed so loudly that our neighbours sometimes complained.
Every Sunday, she dressed beautifully, took pictures with us, and insisted that we eat dinner together.
“Promise me that when you grow up, you’ll never forget these moments,” she always said.
Then, one evening, my father came home, placed his wedding ring on the table, and said, “I can’t do this anymore.”
My mother stared at him, waiting for him to say he was joking.
He never did.
That night, I watched her cry in the bathroom while the shower ran, as though she wanted to hide her tears from us.
The following morning, she still made our breakfast, packed our lunches, and smiled when we asked if everything was okay.
But something inside her had changed.
And that was only the beginning.
Being an adult is funny. You wake up tired, work to pay bills, pay bills and become broke, then sleep so you can wake up and repeat the process. Who designed this system?
My brother’s friend made a bet that he could get me into his bed, but what hurt me most was discovering that they had all been laughing about it behind my back.
His name was Daniel, and he visited our house almost every weekend. He was charming, respectful, and always found a reason to make me smile.
Whenever he came around, he brought me snacks and asked about my day. I thought he genuinely liked me.
One evening, he told me, “I have wanted to tell you something for a long time. I think I’m falling for you.”
I blushed. I had secretly developed feelings for him too.
We started talking privately, and within weeks, I trusted him enough to share things I had never told anyone else.