Take me back

Take me back to the nights when sleep came without anxiety, when my mind wasn’t loud, overthinking, playing a hundred different scenarios on repeat. Take me back to when I wasn’t afraid of loving, when love felt pure and simple. Take me back to when friendship was unselfish, authentic, and free of hidden motives. Take me back to when home felt warm, bright, and full of laughter. Take me back to when responsibility and pressure meant nothing to me. Take me back to when I believed life was a straight line. Take me back to when I was honest and transparent, before I discovered the heavy weight of judgment. Take me back to when darkness was something to fear, not a place of shelter. Take me back to when I thought that at 18, I would be independent and ready. Take me back to when society’s expectations weren’t overwhelming and exhausting. Take me back to when the New Year wasn’t an obligation to reinvent myself or create a new version just to fit in. Take me back to when I didn’t forget dates. When I was young, I wanted to become an adult. Today, as an adult, I want to become young again. It all moved so fast—I didn’t see it coming. I thought I would have time. But here I am. No one told me it would feel like this.