The bridge

The first time I stood on that bridge, I wanted to give up. Everything I had worked for seemed wasted: the business that failed, the friendships that dissolved, the debt piling up. I leaned on the railing, ashamed, afraid, and empty.

But then an old man walked past me. He didn’t stop, he didn’t ask questions. He just said softly: “You’re stronger than this place.” For some reason, those words cut through the noise in my head. I stepped back.

The next day I started small. One job application. One phone call. One healthy meal. It wasn’t magic it was slow, exhausting work. But step by step, the weight lifted. Years later, I still pass that bridge. Now I cross it with gratitude, remembering that even the darkest places can hold unexpected light.

- Mason Herror