You’re too sensitive.

A love note to the ones that can’t “just get over it”.

You’re so emotional.

Just get over it.

You’re overreacting…

—

It’s not that serious.

I was just kidding.

My God…

You’re so sensitive.

—

I can’t put a finger on the first time I ever heard it.

The first time the depth of my compassion was spoken of in a tone of annoyance, when a hint of undeniable disgust whispered its way into the word. The second I was seen as less than because of my emotions. The moment my own brain became my worst enemy.

So sensitive…

I learned to hate my emotions from a young age. There goes Anne running off to her room again because she can’t take a joke. There goes Anne going to therapy because she can’t just be happy. There goes Anne taking medicine because she can’t deal with her emotions on her own.

There she goes, there she goes, there she goes…

—

Too emotional. Too sensitive. Just too…

Much.

But about a year ago, something in me snapped. A snap, a shift, and then a settling.

Maybe I found my confidence, or maybe clarity, but something changed. I got angry.

There she goes…

—

Another You’re too sensitive spoken in my direction, but also one spoken towards a friend.

A fellow ally in empathy, in a world where sensitivity is seen as a sin.

And I snapped, because I had heard that one too many times before.

Sensitivity is not a sin, it never has been. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.

Empathy, emotions, and sensitivity are the epitome of superpowers. They are what make living beings so magnificent.

—

Maybe it comes back to the idea that things that are not often seen in society, end up falling into one of two categories. They can either be rare, precious and valuable, or they can be odd, weird, unwelcome.

Somewhere along the way, sensitivity and empathy fell into the latter.

—

It has taken a long time, but I now see my sensitivity as a gift. It has allowed me to foster relationships, to sense when something isn’t right before anyone else can, and it has allowed me to excel at most everything I do, paying such close attention to every little detail and how they will affect people.

Don’t get me wrong, it can be a real burden. Feeling things so deeply is often exhausting, overwhelming, anxiety-inducing, but yet, it is also such a blessing.

Without it, I simply wouldn’t be me.

My dear friend, if you’re reading this, I hope you know that you are not broken. Your feelings are valid. The sensitivity you hold does not make you weak, in fact, it does quite the opposite.

You are strong. You are brave. And you are far more capable than you think.

But most importantly, you are not alone.

Your sensitivity is a superpower my friend, and don’t you forget it.

—

Love,

Anne