THE PEACEMAKER

(When speaking your truth felt like lighting a match in a gas-filled room)

You were the bridge.

The go-between.

The one who smoothed things over when the tension rose.

You learned to read faces like weather reports

forecasting moods, dodging storms, keeping everyone calm.

You thought, “If I just stay neutral, no one will get hurt.”

But neutrality came with a cost.

You buried your truth so no one else would explode.

You swallowed anger until it fermented into anxiety.

You abandoned your voice to avoid conflict.

You became agreeable. Palatable. Quiet.

Because somewhere in your story,

peace became more important than authenticity.

And “keeping the peace” became the mask you wore to survive chaos.

But let’s call it what it really was…

Peace isn’t the absence of conflict

it’s the presence of honesty, boundaries, and truth.

What you were doing…

was emotional hostage negotiation.

You weren’t born to be the buffer.

You weren’t meant to trade your truth for temporary calm.

Your voice matters.

Even when it makes waves.

Even when it disrupts the comfort of others.

Even when it feels unsafe.

Because the real war…

is the one waged inside you every time you bite your tongue to keep others comfortable.

It’s time to stop translating your soul into silence.

You’re allowed to be heard, even if it cracks the illusion of harmony.

Let them get uncomfortable.

Let the peace break

if it means you finally stop breaking.