Just Feeling Raw

Sometimes I feel torn between being the stern teacher everyone knows and a little girl who needs care. It's exhausting to keep up different roles. Lately, I've been letting myself slip into these moments where I need someone else to be the adult, to set rules, punish me when I break them, even just hold my hand through tough times. Today, after a particularly rough day in class, I called an old friend and asked him to meet me at this cozy coffee shop. As we sat there, he acted like my guardian, ordering for me and telling me off for something small I did wrong. It felt both terrifying and wonderfully freeing, like being back in school but without the stress of real consequences. The relief of not having to be strong all the time is a strange comfort.