You don’t need to pretend you’re okay. You can cry, you can look sad if you feel sad. You can admit that there’s something wrong. You don’t have to act like you’re not hurt when you are. You can talk about the things that makes or made you feel sad. You can be frustrated. You can stay home. You don’t have to go out and pretend you’re having a great time when you’re dying inside. You can write your feelings down and burn them. You do not have to pretend you are invincible. You do not have to prove anything to anyone but yourself. You can let your defenses down for yourself and only for yourself. You don’t have to deprive yourself of your own feelings.