By: Ameer Ali
In a quiet town, there lived a man named Elias who carried a constant heaviness in his chest. He went about his days politely, smiling when needed, but at night the sadness sat beside him like a shadow that never left.
One evening, while searching through the old attic of his family home, Elias discovered a tall, dust-covered mirror. It looked ordinary, but when he gazed into it, he didn’t see his reflection. Instead, he saw the truth of his life — memories he had hidden away.
He saw himself as a child, crying when no one came to comfort him. He saw the day he lost his closest friend, pretending he was fine while his heart shattered. He saw the moments when he told himself, “I’m strong,” while inside he felt like glass.
Elias wept in front of the mirror, unable to look away. Yet as the tears fell, he noticed something strange: the sadness no longer felt like a weight trying to crush him. It felt like a river washing him clean. The mirror did not show him lies of strength or false smiles; it showed him that the truth of sadness was not weakness, but proof of his humanity.
From that day on, Elias no longer feared his sadness. He still carried it, but gently, like one carries a fragile flower. For he had learned that the truth, even when painful, is what makes us real — and only by facing it can the heart begin to heal.
