Facing the villain, I decide to stand confidently before him, speaking out. “Your mental health may not be your fault, but you are still responsible for the broken pieces.”
He nods slowly, knowing that I’m right.
I continue. “Now I’m sorry for whatever it is you’re dealing with. I know how painful it is when someone does something to you
that you can’t undo. But understand that desperate attempts get you nowhere. The only thing you can do is make an effort to heal from it
instead of spreading it like a virus.”
He swallows hard, a mixture of stubbornness and grief brewing
inside him. “You just expect me to cut my losses and heal from it?”
I shake my head. “I expect you to recognize the good with the
bad and think rationally.”
He scoffs. “You will never understand what I go through, Mia.”
I nod in agreement, my face straightened and eyes soft. “You’re right. Just as how you’ll never understand me. But I healed, and I grew,
and people didn’t have to walk on eggshells around me anymore.”
He gives me a puzzled look. “What?”
I hum, approaching him closer. “I was always the victim, victim, victim, treating everyone as if they’re the ones who broke me. It took
me a while to understand that the first step to healing is to help yourself before you deserve the help of others.” (Eberlein, Page 179)
Marie A. Eberlein. Breaking Chains. Page Publishing, 2025.