Too Much

They tell me —

the appreciation you want is too much.
That maybe,
I’m asking for more than people can give.

But listen—
it’s not too much
to want to feel seen.
To want effort that echoes yours,
energy that meets you halfway,
words that hold the same weight as your actions.

It’s not too much
to crave acknowledgment
in a world that glorifies silence
and calls self-neglect maturity.

It’s not too much
to want someone to notice—
the small things,
the quiet care,
the way you show up even when you’re empty.

Because appreciation isn’t ego.
It’s recognition.
It’s the simple whisper that says,
“I see you. I value you. You matter.”

And if that’s too much for some,
maybe they were offering too little all along.

I’m done apologizing
for wanting to be appreciated
in the same way I give.
For wanting softness in return for my strength,
warmth in return for my light.

So call me too much—
I’ll wear it like a crown.
Because I’d rather be too much
than live a life of being barely noticed,
barely felt,
barely there.

If loving loudly,
if giving deeply,
if wanting honesty and gratitude
makes me too much—

then maybe,
too much
is exactly what I’m meant to be.