Some days ago, someone asked me what songs I’ve been listening to lately.
I don’t know why I didn’t tell the truth.
Maybe I wanted to seem like I’d moved on.
Maybe I wanted to look stronger than I felt.
Maybe I didn’t want anyone to hear the softness I still carry.
So I said something casual, something light, something that didn’t matter.
But the truth stayed quiet inside me.
Because the songs I’ve actually been listening to aren’t the kind you share when you’re trying to look healed. They’re the kind you keep to yourself, the ones that touch the parts of you you pretend are gone.
Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls.
I guess i’m in love by Clinton Kane.
Please notice by Christian Leave.
A Drop in the Ocean by Ron Pope.
Follow Me by Uncle Kracker.
Someone to You by BANNERS.
They’re not all masterpieces.
They’re not all impressive.
But each one has a line, a moment, a feeling that reached me in a way I didn’t want to admit.
Maybe that’s why I didn’t say them out loud.
Because these songs reveal a version of me I’ve been trying to tuck away, the girl who still feels deeply, who still remembers, who still hopes, who still aches a little. The girl who isn’t as “strong” as she pretends to be.
But strength isn’t always loud.
Sometimes it’s just honesty.
And tonight, this is mine.
These are the songs.
This is the truth.
And maybe that’s enough.
