I wish I could tell you when you looked at me with eyes of pity to not pity me, because I've been through so much , and I don't want pity I wish I could share with the people in the room, my stories, the stories that I leave out the stories of mourning the stories of grieveing the stories of how I lift myself up each day some days its harder and some days its a bit easier how I cry almost every day how much I mourn a family that I never truly had how much I wish I could go back to all the toxic people that I left for I am so lonely and longing for love and connection but I don't because I value myself more how much I dissacociate each day how much the hunger inside of me aches and consumes, trying to be dulled by addictions, aches to be seen loved touched valued seen to be complimented on something other than just how I look, to be cuddled, without being sexualized how deep my feelings are how much I want friends even just one how much I wish I had the money to travel to sit at beautiful restruants, and to pertend I live a different life but instead I sit and I do my best to not overshare or trauma dump and to laugh off the things that hurt me the things that have made me so bitter and cynical instead I am always wishing hoping and working towards a better life for myself for I don't know any other way . How much I yearn to sit with a mother that I truly love that is truly kind to me that I know would do anything for me how much I yearn for a father that i know that could support me that If I would call on the phone and cry to him that he would do anything to help me that would hold my hand and keep me safe how much I long for to have a sister a brother that would be my best friend in the world that would respect me and care about me and my pain but instead I have no one I am not looking for pity I am looking for understanding for a longing of peace that I don't have to spend another night crying, in my bed all alone, in a foreign country all alone, each time I sleep I remember more trauma that I forgot of the men who hurt me in public, and no one cared or even asked me If I was okay . so when people ask me why do you have such a negetive view on life, because I have met such horrible people but still I am trying , constantly trying, today I went out, spoke with some people, smiled instead of cried, and tried to cloak my words with laughter and hopefulness so they wouldn't see the tears that hide behind my eyes that cry all the time.