The Old Rose and the Woman I've Become

​I’ve realized that I’m not the same person I used to be. There was a time when I cried so easily. Even the smallest things, like an emotional scene in a movie or a touching story, could bring tears to my eyes. But now, it’s different. I watch those same moments, and I don’t really feel anything. Sometimes I catch myself wondering why that changed. Have I simply grown older, or have I become emotionally exhausted after everything I’ve been through? Maybe the version of me that used to wear her heart on her sleeve has slowly faded with time.

These days, it feels like I’ve built invisible walls around my emotions. It’s not that I don’t care anymore. I just don’t react the way I used to. Instead of crying, I stay quiet. Instead of feeling everything so deeply, I often feel… nothing. Sometimes I wonder if this is what emotional numbness feels like, or if it’s just my mind’s way of protecting me after carrying so much for so long. Life has a way of changing people, and maybe it has changed me too.

I don’t know if the old Rose is gone forever or if she’s simply resting somewhere beneath all the experiences, disappointments, and lessons life has given me. Maybe one day she’ll find her way back. Until then, I’m just trying to understand this quieter, more guarded version of myself.