Remedy Melodies 15: honesty hurts
Remedy Melodies, originally conceived by writer Daniela Bologna, is something like a lyrical advice column. Based on reader-submitted confessions, the Sunstroke team crafts a personalized playlist to lift, fit or change your mood.
Want Remedy Melodies for yourself? Tell us what’s on your mind — anonymous or not!
By Chika Ojukwu
Artwork by Chika Ojukwu
From Sunstroke:
First, thank you for submitting this deeply personal request. I, myself, know it isn’t easy to confront such conflicting feelings and decisions. Second, I’m not going to sugarcoat it; this is tough. Putting aside the screens we’re reading this on, and the seemingly infinite distance between us, I’m going to speak to you as I would speak to a dear friend, even family.
Know this: This isn’t about you anymore. While you have come to the realization that you no longer have feelings beyond friendship, your partner is still knee deep in like (maybe even love), and has no idea you’re having second thoughts. From this point forward, it’s about them and their feelings. While your feelings are valid and it’s important to acknowledge that, the choice you are about to make affects them the most. Knowing this now, I implore you to ask yourself: “How would they feel?” Once you’ve answered that, I think your decision will naturally follow.
Of course, I don’t know your relationship. I don’t know its quirks, how it came to be, what makes it sing or what makes it sink, how it looks like now, and how it looked then. That’s up to you to assess and respond how you feel fit. What I do know is that you can’t control what happens, no matter what you decide to do. It might sound scary at first, but it can actually be comforting to know that, ultimately, it’s up to the universe to see how this plays out.
So, while the universe decides its fate, I give you this playlist titled “honesty hurts,” because honestly — it does. Being honest with yourself and being honest with others is no fool’s errand but you’ve already taken the first step by sending this request. Let the truth come out, sit back and listen to these songs as you drown the day and night away … ◆