Sometimes, “I’m fine” is more than a sentence

An image of me

A few days ago, my friend asked me, “How are you?”

Without thinking, I smiled and said, “I’m fine.”

Then I walked away.

But the truth was that, I wasn’t close to being fine at all

Nothing was terribly wrong, I was still working, talking to people, laughing at jokes, answering messages, and doing everything I normally do.

From the outside, life looked perfectly normal but inside, I was tired and exhausted

Not the kind of tired that sleep can fix, I mean the kind that comes from thinking too much, carrying too much, and pretending everything is okay because you don't know how to explain what you're feeling.

I think a lot of us know that feeling and was once there

We have become so good at saying “I’m fine” because it is easier than telling the truth.

Sometimes, “I’m fine” means, “I don’t want to talk about it, at times it means, I’m trying to figure things out or simply means, “I’m hurting, but I’ll be okay.”

The problem is that people often see you functioning and assume you are doing well.

They see you going to work, showing up for others, smiling, and moving forward.

But they don't always see the battles that happen quietly when you're alone.

And maybe that's why we should be a little kinder to each other.

Not everyone who smiles is happy, nor one who is quiet being okay.

Not everyone who seems strong has it all together. Sometimes, the strongest thing a person can do is admit that they are tired.

Life doesn't always give us time to pause at all.

We have responsibilities, expectations, bills, relationships, and dreams to keep up with. But somewhere in all of that, we can forget to check on ourselves.

So, if you’ve been feeling tired lately, give yourself some grace.
You don't have to have everything figured out.
You don't have to be strong every day and you don't always have to say, “I’m fine.”

Sometimes, it’s okay to simply say, “I’m having a hard day.”

Because you don't have to hide your struggle to prove that you are strong.