a stranger in their eyes -Sophie Tommola ‘23 there is a stranger looking through their eyes in the place of the person you love. sitting on the brink of losing themself to the anguish within, hiding their heart from love. falling off the precipice of depression renders them hopeless; you won’t let them cascade alone. it’s ok to unleash the unruly growth of feelings that hold them at a distance from the world, trapping their soul in briars that reopen wounds that a bandage can’t heal. this thicket of struggles can be torn down; together, you can bring down the confinement of their thoughts. they're tired from fighting this never-ending battle, but you need them to be strong until they win. for you. and for them, too.
you can’t let them know how terrifying it is when they try to whisk themself away into a world unbeknownst to you. keeping up your strength in this time is just as vital to keeping theirs afloat; you are their pillar of stability, for better or worse, in sickness and in health. no matter how much it pains you to see them wishing they never have to see the light again, you know this is when they need you the most. holding a strong facade during visiting hours and staying to crumble beyond the door that feels like the gravest hardship you’ve faced yet. you do it for them. spending your days pacing the hallways of a stark hospital is never ideal, but you do it for them. anything for them. however big or small.
slowly, you can chip away at the towering walls they built in a panic to reveal their masterpiece. when they feel overwhelmed and want to re-stack the stones you both worked so hard to knock down,
