22 Comments
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hawkie's avatar

Beautiful piece and very relatable. Sometimes I catch myself laughing over jokes I don’t find funny and biting my tongue fearing my next words be the slightest bit disagreeable. It is true, we choose what piece of us is revealed and so we are a thousand faces to a thousand people. In the end, it’s not up to us how others perceive us, so the best we can do is be content knowing who we are. And, perhaps we don’t fully know who we are because we are still discovering it, and that may as well be the beautiful mystery of life.

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Teresa's avatar

This is exactly what I was thinking about! I think that as humans, we’re always changing and growing our personalities and our definition of who we are, so even if we don’t know who we are yet, true beauty lies in the process of discovering ourselves and being true to what we want.

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divya's avatar

this is so beautifully and vulnerably written. so many poignant and thoughtful lines. even your subtitle- on the quiet ache of being known, and the selves we leave behind. it really makes you think about the masks we wear and how we change depending on who we are interacting with- what part of ourselves we are letting them see

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Teresa's avatar

Thank you for your lovely words 🥹🥹🫶

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Neyta Fernanda's avatar

So beautiful. I feel it so much. Maybe we aren't meant to "be known," just be seen, in all of our layers-- by ourselves and by the different people who see different sides of us. Sending hugs through the screen, this touched my heart deeply.

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Teresa's avatar

I’m so glad it resonated! Sending hugs back 🫶🫶❤️

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Melissa Clements's avatar

This is beautiful Teresa. It's because of this same sentiment that it can feel so peaceful being alone, and why it is so special if and when you find someone who you truly feel you can be yourself around. So much of our conditioning to exist as a productive and "normal" member of society forces us to put on a mask, but I hope they are slowly coming down. I think you'd love TS Eliot's Lovesong of J Alfred Prufrock.

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Teresa's avatar

Thank you so much!! this means a lot to me 🥹 I think you're exactly right: there's something deeply restful about solitude when it's free from performance, and something even more rare and miraculous about connection that doesn’t require translation. That line about our conditioning really struck me — it’s true, it teaches us to wear masks so early, we sometimes forget we’re wearing them. I do love Prufrock (and how perfect a suggestion)! Thank you for reading so thoughtfully 💌

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Cozy Little Writer's avatar

"People don’t really listen unless they like the sound of you." Your thoughts are so poignant, filled with so much emotion and relatability. We are complex beings with so many layers to us, it's hard to discover our true selves and we probably won't ever in this lifetime, all we can do is evolve, learn and make mistakes. All of the little things along the way that contribute to our growth.

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Teresa's avatar

Thank you so much for the compliments! 🫶🥹 and this was exactly what I was trying to get at! I’m so glad you liked this piece so thank you so much for reading and writing such nice comments ❤️

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liana 𐙚 ♡ ⁴⁴⁴'s avatar

i felt this so much.

i spent most of my life being digestible to others, and that unknowingly gave them the power. i was always pushing myself down, scared of eyes on me. i didn't develop a sense of self until much recently after being given a treatment plan for my depression and anxiety.

you will be okay. i am cheering you on! thank you for your beautiful writing. 💌

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Teresa's avatar

Thank you so much for sharing this. There’s something genuinely powerful about reclaiming your sense of self after years of shrinking to fit. I’m so glad you’re finding your way forward and I’m also rooting for you! Thank you for reading 🫶🫶

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tatum 🐚's avatar

wow wow wow, this resonated so deeply with me 🥲 there are so many beautiful pieces to this, but here’s just one i love! “It’s more subtle than that, much quieter. I smooth out the edges, dim the brightness, rearrange the furniture of my personality into something softer, easier to swallow.” your writing is stunning!

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Teresa's avatar

Wow, thank you so much for this! I honestly don’t have the words for how much it means to hear that it resonated with you so deeply. It’s always a bit scary to share the softer, messier parts of ourselves, but messages like yours remind me why I do. Thank you for reading so generously, and for taking the time to share this—it really means the world. 💛

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mariana (mar)'s avatar

this left me in tears. i feel incredibly seen

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Teresa's avatar

That’s all I ever hope for with my writing—that it finds someone who needed it. I feel seen by your words too. Thank you 🥹

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Manorma Pandey's avatar

wowww, did you reach into the insides of my brain before writing this? This resonated so much, so well written! Thanks for sharing 🥺🫶🏻🤍

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Teresa's avatar

awww thank you so much! lol I was so scared that it was just me who felt like this and that maybe this piece was too personal but I’m so glad that there’s someone else who I can relate to 🫶 thank you so so much for reading 🥹

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Gonzo Girl's avatar

This is so relatable and well-written. I love this line “Each memory is a silhouette, stitched together from the parts I chose to show. And the more I think about it, the more I realize: maybe no one has ever met me completely. Maybe I haven’t either.”

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Teresa's avatar

Thank you so much!! 🥹 that means a lot. That line came from a very real place, so I’m glad it resonated <3

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Sep 15
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Teresa's avatar

Thank you so much for reading it! 🫶🥹

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Jul 26
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Teresa's avatar

Thank you for reading! 😊

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