It crept into everything. My outfits. My style. How I dressed in hijab. Even my eyeglasses. I overthought every detail, listened to every comment, and trusted them more than I trusted myself. Words, when repeated often enough, stop sounding like opinions and start feeling like facts.

When it came to my glasses, people said it casually.

Wear your glasses, you only look better with them.

Nothing cruel. Nothing intentional. But slowly, I began to believe that version of myself was the only acceptable one. That without them, I would look worse. Less presentable. ugly

So I rarely took them off. Except at home, of course. Because who wears glasses at home? ;D

Then there was a moment I didn't plan for.

A simple question.

Why aren't you wearing your glasses today?

I said I forgot them. A harmless excuse. Something to move past the moment quickly.

But the question came again.

Are you comfortable without them?

I said no. Not because it was true, but because I was already preparing myself for the familiar response. I thought I knew how this would go. Another reminder of how I supposedly looked better before.

Instead, the words came differently.

For me, you look good without them.

I asked again, unsure.

Are you sure? It surprised me how honest that felt.

The answer was calm, almost effortless.

With or without them, you look good. But if you ask me, I prefer seeing you without.

That was it. No pressure. No correction. No attempt to reshape me. And somehow, that small moment stayed. I didn't suddenly become confident.

I was just treated kindly, and somehow that taught me to be kinder to myself.