The Note Left Behind

Hi my friend,

This week I stayed up way too late.
Not because I was lost in a book -
that's a familiar kind 
of rebellion.

One I know well,
one I've lovingly made 
peace with.

But this time, it was different.
Because I got completely absorbed
in a TV show.

One episode turned into another,
and by the time I looked up,
it was already close to 
midnight.

I knew I was going to feel it 
the next day -
and I did.

My eyes were heavy.
My patience felt thin.

Even the small, beautiful things,
the ones that usually bring me joy,
were suddenly too much.

It's not that anything was wrong.
I was just tired.

So I did what I could.

I slipped into a hot shower,
before the rest of the house 
woke up…

The water was running,
the steam rising around me.

And I just stood there -
quiet, tired, and hoping that somehow, 
the warmth would soften the sharp edges
that had crept into this day.

And then…
I saw it.

There, 
on the fogged-up 
glass of the shower door, 
a message appeared -
written in faint, almost invisible 
letters…

“ I love you! ”

Just a tiny note waiting in the mist.
Left behind by my daughter 
the night before.

And in that moment,
my whole body softened.
My shoulders dropped.
My heart melted.

Because this little love note,
this quiet, foggy surprise,
offered exactly what 
I needed.

It wasn't advice or a fix.
It didn't ask anything of me.

Just love, 
arriving gently.

Sometimes, 
all we need is a moment of tenderness.
A reminder that we're not
doing it all wrong.

That we're just human.
Just tired.

And still deeply,
beautifully loved,
my friend.

With love,
Elina