For so long, I wore the mask of who I thought others wanted me to be — chasing validation, blending in, and silencing my own truth. But pretending came at a cost: pieces of my identity, my peace, and my connection with God. Answering this prompt forced me to confront the hardest truth of all — that I allowed myself to stay in places and with people who were never for me, because I was too afraid to face what that revealed about me. Today, I am learning that honesty with mysel

Embrace your journey, trust God, and love yourself deeply — even the imperfect parts. Your strength will surprise you.

A poet's chance encounter with a stranger ignites a love he can't pursue, leaving him trapped between longing and duty.