By Libby Hawkins, TIWP Student

“You are so shy. You are too quiet.”

Maybe being quiet means I’m trying to be at peace with myself.
Maybe it means I don’t feel I need other’s approval.

Maybe being shy means I like my own presence.
Maybe it means I don’t feel like I need to put on a show.

I am shy and I am quiet. I feel like it helps me be more peaceful. I can just sit and stare and be silent without needing to talk or entertain. It allows me to think, to take things in and understand. It also allows me to feel. By being quiet, by being shy, it is normal for me not to talk, so when I am mad or upset, I can be upset.

Being quiet and shy does not mean I do not have a personality. It means it will take a little while to get to know me.

It does not mean I don’t know how to speak. It just means I choose when to speak.

Next time someone says I am shy and quiet, I’ll say “Yes, I am” and take it as a compliment.