Letting someone in may be the scariest thing of all.

We all have fears.

We all have doubts.

We all have worries.

And yes, we all have faults.

But sometimes, many of those things become trapped inside ourselves, unable to be spoken aloud.

For some of us, letting others in is difficult. When we open up, when we let ourselves speak from the heart, the dam that we have worked so hard to build may break and the things we kept hidden may come flooding out.

So instead, we keep to ourselves.

We hold back.

We tell others "I'm here for you, I'm here," even if we ourselves are breaking on the inside. Because attempting to fix everyone else's problems prevents you from having to deal with your own.

Because when you have been hurt once, you are determined to never be hurt again.

And sometimes, that comes with a price that we may not be able to pay.

We build a wall, a dam, so enormous, so elaborate, so complex, that even we do not know the right path to follow to understand who we are. After so much time spent to shutting others out, maybe we shut ourselves out, too.

We keep building.

We keep fighting.

But that dam, that dam has holes that we keep repairing.

We turn around after fixing one to find another, and a few more cracks are added to it. But we keep going. We tell others, let me in, I can help you.

But can we help ourselves?

Can we let others do the same?

Or are we so afraid of letting someone see who we are.

See our fears.

See our worries.

Because, one day, they might leave. And then they take the piece of your heart you gave them.

And the dam completely collapses, just like we do.

So do we keep the dam together, the one we have spent years building and hiding behind.

Do we bear with the waves, the cracks, and the wholes, without anyone ever knowing?

Do we continue to hide, to pretend we are fine, when we are anything but.

All because we are afraid. Is it that better than someone destroying it all at once? To be left stranded among the water, fighting for air, even as you drown?

Or do we break free all on our own.

Ready to dive into the unknown.

Because living in fear is a wasted life.

Because living a life of isolation is the same as not living at all.

Can we let someone, in order to save us from ourselves?