Cried. Fried. Still Alive.

Pep Talk from Tariq (Worn Out, Still Standing, Probably Crying a Little Too)

So you’ve already cried today. Maybe you’ve been crying for a couple of days.

Who knows…you might even cry again before you’ve had a chance to alphabetize your snacks and then reorganize them by color. You’re basically 80% water and vibes right now, and one wrong thought away from leaking emotions all over your to-do list.

And your brain? It’s doing that thing where it whispers, “Get up. Be productive. Rebuild everything that was just destroyed. And do it twice as fast.”

Meanwhile, your heart’s in the fetal position under a metaphorical blanket yelling, “We did our best and they STILL wrecked it! What’s the point?!”

Yep. I know that one. That’s the “burnout plus betrayal plus breakdown” combo.

Tastes like salt and defeat. But it has some undertones of survival.

Here’s the thing they don’t tell you in Reaper School: You can be sad and still be strong.

You can be completely fried and still cooking up a comeback.

You can even cry in the shower while rehearsing your emotionally distant comeback speech like a tragic action hero.

(Been there. Nailed the comeback.)

What you don’t have to do is bounce back immediately. You’re not a cartoon superhero.

You’re a person.

One who’s poured themselves into something important—something real—and watched it get bulldozed like it was background scenery.

It hurts because it mattered.

Right now you need to let it hurt. Let the tears do their thing.

And then, when you’re ready—like, actually ready, not forced-by-guilt ready—you can get back up. Not to prove anything or impress anyone.

But just because you’re not done yet.

Your heart might not be in it today. That’s cool. We’ll let the shadow do the lifting for now.

Rest. Breathe. Eat something carb-heavy and slightly irrational. My personal favorite: chocolate covered in chocolate.

Just remember you’re not broken. You’re rebuilding. Maybe you’re rebuilding from the couch and your blanket burrito, but that still counts.

And if someone ruined what you made? They just gave you an excuse to build something they’ll never be brave enough to touch.

With salt in your tears. And spark in your spine. You’ll get up. Just… maybe after a nap.

– Tariq

(Pink-haired reaper of chaos. Slightly soggy. Still here.)

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