My chest swells at the praise, and for once, I don’t flinch away from it. He’s right - today was a challenging day, but hearing him say it does something to me. I’ve always shied away from folks telling me the good things about myself because part of me could never believe them. Yet hearing Arlon say it breaks through the barrier of disbelief I’ve built around myself. For once, I’m proud of myself for what I was able to handle.
