Sometimes I imagine that the most raw and hateful feelings inside me are poking out of my skin like they’ve got sharp corners everyone can see. Some days, I am all jagged edges and sharp quills, like a porcupine. There are days when my face is twisted into a permanent grimace. And then there are the days when I don’t want to see anyone, so I walk around with my spine hunched and my arms crossed in front of me. Stay away, is what my body can tell people, even from 25 feet away. I wish I could have fewer days like that, and more days when I approach the world with my arms wide open, a cartoon cavalcade of hearts and rainbows bursting forth from my chest. I’d like to go around with a lovely smile on my face, ready to flash my sunny brilliance at each passerby I see, whether man, woman, or child. I wonder why it’s so much more natural for me to walk around the world like I don’t want anyone to approach me — that must be my fear talking. Fear of being rejected, abandoned, or outright exploited, if I were to reveal a trace of openness or vulnerability. I have to remind myself that it’s not foolish or dangerous to express the love inside me the way I express the pain inside me. In fact, I think it’s a show of strength, to let people know that you are happy, that you feel good about yourself, and that you’re not afraid to meet the world with open arms of kindness. That might go a long way towards smoothing out my sharp edges, my porcupine quills, and all the painful fears that lie just below my surface. ❤️‍🔥—Y.B.D.