The Armour

I believe that people 
are good at their core.
And yet we live in a world
that doesn’t always 
feel safe.

So, from a very young age,
we begin gathering
our armour.

Little pieces… barely there.
Others made large 
to intimidate.

We do this 
to protect ourselves.
To avoid being hurt.
To stay steady
when life feels deeply
unpredictable.

And we are brilliant at it.
We are masters of 
our craft.

However, it can feel 
rather heavy after a while
to be carrying all that 
armour around.

Vigilance is tiring.

And yet… 
there is a reason why 
we picked each piece up.

There was a time when
we truly needed it.

A moment that 
required us to become strong…
when what we truly longed for 
was a heartfelt hug.

I am not ashamed 
of my armour.
I am grateful for it.

But every now and then 
it helps to look at what 
we’ve gathered along 
the way.

To see what still fits 
the people we are now.

Maybe that old shield
has done its work.
Maybe it can rest.

Maybe the helmet stays.
Maybe we still need it.
But maybe it doesn’t have to 
cover our whole face.

We all have our ways
of staying safe.
I understand that.
I do too.

All I know is that
when it gets too heavy,
we can always loosen it.
Just a little.

With love,
Elina

Artwork / Sandra Florence “Māra’s Lace” (fragment), 2025. Personal collection.