Notes to Self

by Emilie Pine

The things we are afraid to say, the things we are ashamed of, or embarrassed by, these are not, after all, the things that isolate us. These are the things that connect us. And this realization leads me to another: In writing my life, I thought I was writing about pain. But I have also, accidentally, written about love.

FAMOUSLY, THE TRICK TO GOOD WRITING is bleeding onto the page.

But my mental health, it turns out, is my responsibility. I probably didn’t need to tell you that, but I did need to tell myself. And once I realized that, I wondered why I would ever leave it in the hands of strangers to decide my value.