24/11/2025
“The First Brave Step Back”
Months had passed since she had allowed herself a public outing. Fear and caution held her close. But today she decided to test softness — to return gently. She went to a quiet gallery, a place with padded benches and warm light. She wore comfortable shoes and brought a scarf for warmth.
The world moved at its usual pace, but she walked slowly, noticing details she’d missed for years: the weight of light on a painting, the hush of people in wonder, the texture of a wooden bench. Pain rose and ebbed, but she breathed and shifted and accepted help when she needed it.
It wasn’t a triumphant comeback; it was a careful, courageous practice of showing up for herself in public again. She treated the outing as a ritual rather than a performance, and in that permission, joy returned like a small, steady tide.