Everything about Stacey was a lie, the self confidence, the way she talked, and her apparent lack of care about anyone. Sometimes, just getting up took effort, but she had to do it because she needed to be strong.
But strength, she learnt, wasn’t showing that you were perfect, Perfection was something nobody needed to have. Stacey didn’t have to move around the day, in a rush, hoping she wouldn’t mess up again. She could take a break from perfection once in a while
Sometimes, just spending the day in her pyjamas, painting, creating was the best thing for her health. At work, she let other people take on the load. Team work was better than doing everything.
It was only when a colleague, who she thought was unfillable, went off with stress, she realised there were many like her, Struggling through the day, hoping they wouldn’t mess up this time.
Stress wasn’t anything to be ashamed of because most people suffered silently too.
Writer Ravenclaw 