You know when you see everyone else doing their thing, like they have it all figured out, and you’re just… watching? Like you’re on the outside looking in, even when you’re *supposed* to be part of the group. That’s how it’s been lately. My mom, she owns this little shop, like a boutique kinda thing, and she’s always been super involved with these other business owners. They’d meet up, drink coffee, talk about suppliers and rent and stuff. And I always thought it was cool, like they had their own squad. But now, it’s like... they’re all gone. Mrs. Henderson sold her flower shop to a chain, Mr. Kim retired and moved to Florida, and a bunch of the others just closed up because rent got too high here, you know? And my mom, she tries to act like it's fine, like she’s still got her thing going. But I see her, at night, just scrolling on her phone, looking at old pictures of them all laughing at some Christmas party or whatever. And it feels SO BAD to even think this, but sometimes, I wish she’d just… give up. Like, it's gotta be lonely, right? All her old friends are either gone or retired and she’s still here, working crazy hours, trying to keep up. It’s like everyone else got to move on to something new, something easier maybe, and she’s just… stuck. And she tries to find new people, but it’s not the same, everyone’s so young now and all about Instagram and TikTok for their stores, and she just can’t really connect with them. I feel SO MUCH shame even writing this. Because she works so hard and I know she loves her shop. But when I see her sitting there, looking so sad, and she doesn’t even know I’m watching, I just wish she could be happy like they are. Like, just relax and not have to worry about everything all the time. But I can't say anything, obviously. Because what kind of kid says that to their mom? It's just… a lot. And I hate that I even think it. It just feels like watching someone slowly get left behind, and there’s nothing you can do.