Uninvited, Unneeded, Unspoken

Sometimes, the hardest part isn't being excluded — it's the silence that follows. The quiet truth that you weren't chosen, and maybe, you were never really meant to be there. But even in the absence of an invitation, there's a small, stubborn part of you that still wishes you were remembered. 

Sometimes, it’s not about going. It’s not about clearing your schedule, getting dressed, and showing up. Sometimes, it’s simply about being asked. 

There’s a quiet kind of warmth in receiving an invitation—even when everyone involved knows you’re probably not coming. Maybe they already expect the polite decline. Maybe you, deep down, have no real desire to join the gathering. But still, the simple act of being included matters.  

Because it's not really about the event. It’s about belonging.  

It’s about knowing that someone thought of you—that someone wanted you there enough to extend a hand, even if they knew you might not take it. It’s feeling like you’re part of something, even if you choose to stay on the sidelines. It’s the comfort of knowing that, for a moment, they pictured you laughing with them, being with them, fitting in.  

And isn’t that what we all want, deep down? To be wanted. To be considered. To know that we are not forgotten or overlooked.  

Personally, there are times when I don’t really want to go. Not because I dislike the people, not because I’m bitter or cold—but because sometimes, solitude feels like the right choice. Or maybe life feels heavy, and the idea of small talk and noise feels even heavier. But despite that, there’s still a small, stubborn part of me that hopes for the invitation. Not because I plan to say yes—but because I want to be seen.  

It's funny how something so simple—a text, a call, a casual "Hey, you should come!"—can mean so much. It says, "We thought of you." It says, "You matter to us." Even if my answer is a gentle "Maybe next time," my heart feels lighter for having been asked.  

In a world where it’s so easy to feel disconnected, the smallest gestures become anchors. An invitation, even unaccepted, is one of them.  

Sometimes, being included—even when you’re not present—makes all the difference.

In the end, maybe it's not about the invitation itself. It's about the small, fleeting moment when you realize that you matter enough to be thought of, even if only for a brief second. We all crave connection, even if we don’t always know how to show up for it. Sometimes, just knowing we’re remembered is enough to make us feel like we belong, even if it’s just for a moment. 

And maybe that’s all we really need — to be uninvited, unneeded, unspoken, and still, in some small way, included.

au revoir. 🙂