when you shield your face 

a toddler thinks you’ve vanished.

that is, until you take your hands away

to see a giggling, cheeky smile staring back at you.

someone told me that it’s the same with emotions.

being happy doesn’t mean the sadness is gone,

just like being sad doesn’t mean the happiness is gone

so if you too, feel as if getting better

would force you to lose part of yourself,

i want you to know that it won’t.

i want you to know that 

you will still struggle,

you will still feel, 

you will still remember.

i want you to know that 

i will still see you.

you’re still anxious even if people can’t see it

you’re still depressed even if people don’t believe it

you still have those parts of yourself

and you always will

because emotional-permanence is 

as much a thing as object-permanence

and I want you to know that I see you