I felt exhausted and stretched too thin. They urged me to take a break, but I resisted. I believed I had to keep pushing forward. They said, "You need to rest," and "It’s okay to take a break sometimes." Eventually, I gave in. I rested. As I did, a warm, slow darkness enveloped me. “It’s okay, I’m just resting,” I reassured myself. The stillness deepened, and the silence became deafening, until I could hear nothing and feel nothing… “It’s okay, I’m just resting.” “I’m still here; I’m just resting.”

10" x 10" oil on gallery wrapped canvas