Open When You Feel Behind

There's a specific ache to this one.

You see someone your age who seems further.
More stable.
More certain.

And the thought creeps in:

“I should be further by now.”

ADHD time is not linear.

We sprint.
We stall.
We rebuild.
We pivot.

From the outside it looks inconsistent.

From the inside it feels like constantly catching up.

Comparison hides the effort.

It hides the mental load.
It hides the resilience.
It hides how much energy it takes you to function in systems not built for your brain.

You are not behind.

You are on a nonlinear path.

And nonlinear does not mean wrong.

I see the effort that doesn't show up on paper.

It counts.