#JusJoJan26 | 11.01.2026

Opinion

I wasn’t raised to have opinions.
I was raised to stay quiet,
to agree,
to keep the peace.
Having an opinion felt dangerous—
like stepping out of line,
like asking for trouble,
like taking up space I hadn’t earned.
So I learned to swallow my thoughts.
To doubt my instincts.
To believe that other voices
were louder because they were right.
It’s taken years to understand
that my opinion isn’t rebellion—
it’s presence.
That having a voice
doesn’t make me difficult.
It makes me real.
Now, when I speak,
it’s not to dominate or convince.
It’s to exist honestly.
And that,
in my opinion,
is long overdue.

💫Maggie

The Afterlove Voice 💫