Between the tears and the joy, there lies a vulnerable space where I shed my layers and stand exposed, stripped of pretense and facade. In moments of sorrow, I am laid bare, my soul open and raw, unguarded, and unadorned. The tears wash away the masks I wear, leaving me with nothing but my truth, my essence, my humanity.

And in the midst of laughter, I find myself equally exposed, my defenses crumbling in the wake of unbridled mirth. The sound of joy peels away the layers of inhibition, revealing the unfiltered, unrefined version of myself. I am naked in the abandon of laughter, free from the constraints of self-consciousness and doubt, basking in the unadulterated purity of the moment.

Between the crying and the laughter, I am laid bare, vulnerable, and unshielded. It is in this space, devoid of artifice and pretense, that I find my truest self, unencumbered by the weight of expectation. I am naked, not in body, but in spirit, embracing the full spectrum of human emotion, unafraid to be seen in all my unvarnished truth.

© Beatriz Esmer