I wonder if they know.

I wonder if their words were intended to hurt, or whether they are simply cavalier with their remarks. I allow myself private debates on whether they stamp on me as a means to put me in place, or if I’m a stone to be submerged as they continue on their way.

I am too much, never enough, a surfeit of this and a surplus of that.

I am the best that I can be. I fall, get discouraged, rise, and try again. It is not enough for them; in their minds, I should never fall, never fear, never become lost.

I will try again. Perhaps this time, they will respect the fight. If not, I move on alone. I have begun to understand solitude.