“You take space in the world; no one can take your space.”
When Marsha said this in the class something shifted.
For the first time in my life, I felt solid.
I’ve always thought of myself as transparent – moving through the world unseen, adapting, fitting in where necessary, but never truly feeling like I occupied space. It was as if I existed, but only in a way that didn’t disturb the world around me.
But in that moment, as those words settled into me, I could feel my own presence. My body, once weightless, had mass. I could feel the air moving through my lungs, the ground beneath my feet, the energy of everything around me.
And with that realization came something unexpected: courage.
I felt less afraid. Less hesitant. More certain that I have the right to exist as I am, without shrinking, without waiting for permission. For so long, I had questioned where my place was, if I was allowed to take up space if I needed to be smaller to fit in. But now, I understand that I already take space by simply being. And no one can take that from me.
This wasn’t just about confidence. It was about acknowledging my own existence in a way I never had before. I don’t need to ask for space, I don’t need to justify my presence – I am already here.
I don’t know why I never saw it before. Maybe I had been carrying the weight of invisibility for so long that I forgot what it meant to feel real. But now, I do.
