At 11, they said I was gifted.
At 12, they said I was exceptional.
At 17, they said I was destined for greatness.
At 18, they ask why I’m “falling behind.”
How do I explain that brilliance has a weight?
That the world’s expectations were too heavy for a teenage spine?
That burnout isn’t a flame you blow out —
it’s an implosion you carry quietly.
Gifted girls don’t become prodigies.
They become tired.
Even to dream…
UnderTheRock Diaries 