I guess this is kinda stupid but I just need to say it out loud, or... type it out, whatever. For weeks now, I’ve had this stupid toothache. Like, a real throbbing, keep-you-up-at-night kind of pain. But it’s not a big deal, right? I just pop some ibuprofen, maybe a couple extra strength Tylenol if it’s really bad, and keep pushing through. Because, you know, this current project? It’s a HUGE one. The biggest freelance gig I’ve landed yet. And if I pull this off, if I just get through this crunch period, then everything will be fine. The tooth will probably just... go away. Or at least feel better once I’m not running on fumes and coffee for 18 hours a day. That’s how it works, isn’t it? Like, if you just ignore the small stuff, it eventually just disappears when the big stress is gone. We do that a lot as humans, I think. We put off all the little aches and pains, the things that are screaming at us for attention, because we’re so focused on the next big hurdle. And it’s not just the tooth, really. It’s everything. Being home all day with the baby, it’s amazing, don’t get me wrong. She’s my whole world. But sometimes... sometimes I feel like I’m just... disappearing. Like the me that designed cool shit and had actual conversations with other adults, that person is just a ghost now. And then I feel so guilty for even thinking that, because how can I want more when I have this perfect little human? It’s a messed up cycle. So I just bury it all, put on a brave face, and pretend like everything’s totally fine. Because that’s what we do, right? We convince ourselves that if we just hold our breath long enough, the discomfort will eventually pass. Like this tooth. It has to. I just... I don’t know. Typing this out, it feels a little lighter, I guess. It’s not like it changes anything. I still have to finish this project, and the baby still needs me, and this fucking tooth is still probably going to be there tomorrow. But maybe saying it, even to the internet void, makes it a tiny bit less... heavy. We carry so much around, all of us. And nobody ever really sees it. They just see the finished product, the smiling face, the perfectly delivered project. They don't see the painkillers or the late nights or the weird ache in your jaw that you’ve been ignoring for weeks because you just can’t afford to deal with one more thing right now. Fuck.