Dear Me: A Love Letter to the Days I Feel Like a Burden

To the version of me who feels like too much,

I know you feel heavy today.  Like your presence takes up too much space and you’re not sure that you deserve it.  You replay every word you said, wondering if you talked too much. Or perhaps not enough.  

You shrink into silence, hoping that nobody notices your overwhelmed state of mind.  But I see you, and that ached behind your eyes.  

The heaviness that you carry, but I want you to know that you are not a burden. You are human—messy, complex, and beautiful.  You’ve been taught to apologize for things that never needed an apology.  You tears, your tiredness, and your truth are what make you, you. 

I know that the world has told you otherwise.  That your emotions are too loud, your silence is too much, and your productivity is lackluster.  But, let’s be honest, the world wasn’t built for sensitive hearts like yours.  

Your neurodivergent brain processes deeply, feels everything, and sometimes needs longer to respond.  It wasn’t built for softness; it was built for you.  But that doesn’t mean that you’re the problem.  

Some days, you might not contribute much in the ways the world praises.  You might not be productive, cheerful, or emotionally available. And that’s okay, because you are worthy of love.

Even when you’re burn out, irritable, and shutdown and don’t have the words.  You can live knowing that you don’t need to earn care, or rest, or your right to exist. 

Self-care is letting isn’t what you envision—it’s more than that.  It’s letting yourself cry without rushing to fix it.  It’s trusting that even in your lowest moments, you are still you.  

So, on the days when you feel like a burden, remember this:

Your softness is not a flaw; Your slowness is not weakness; You’re just right, even when you don’t feel it. And in those moments, know that you’re loved.

With tenderness,
Me 

“You are not a burden. You are a human being with needs, just like everyone else.”

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