Thomas had always been the rock for everyone he loved. He carried their burdens as if they were his own. His aging mother’s hospital visits, his sister’s endless crises, and his best friend’s recurring need for money—all of it rested on his shoulders. And he bore it willingly, believing that love meant sacrifice.

He thought if he gave enough, if he was always there, surely they would love him back. He never spoke of his own struggles, his quiet pain, the hollow loneliness that clawed at him late at night. He didn't want to be a burden. His happiness could wait. There was always someone more important, someone who needed him first.

The years passed, and Thomas became a shadow of himself. His face, once bright with kindness, now wore the lines of exhaustion. One by one, those he cared for drifted away. His mother passed, his sister moved across the country, and his best friend stopped calling once his debts were repaid. The house that was once filled with their voices became eerily silent.

He sat at the dinner table alone one evening, the silence pressing down on him. He stared at the empty seat across from him, the same seat where he had comforted others countless times. But there was no one left to comfort him.

In a moment of clarity, Thomas realized he had never learned to love himself. He had spent a lifetime pouring all his energy into others, hoping to fill the void in his heart. But he had neglected the one person who needed his love the most—himself.

As the night deepened, Thomas walked to the mirror and saw a stranger staring back at him. His reflection was gaunt, eyes dull, the weight of his sacrifices etched into every crease. He whispered to the man in the mirror, "Why didn’t I see it sooner?"

The answer was simple, yet devastating: No one could love someone who didn’t love himself.

And in that quiet room, where no one else remained, Thomas finally understood. He had given away everything he had, but it was never enough. Not for them, and not for him.

For the first time in his life, he let the tears fall for his own sake. The first act of love he had ever given himself.