I can’t sit at that table

 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗶𝘁.

I’ve paid it.

I’ve smiled through silence

Swallowed truth like it was my duty

Made myself agreeable when my soul was on fire

And called it love

But I no longer believe that love requires sacrifice at the expense of self

I no longer believe that staying soft means staying silent

Real partnership does not ask you to disappear.

It asks you to be here, fully

Rooted in your truth

Steady in your body

Clear in your boundaries

That is the version of me that love gets now

Not the one who over-functions

Not the one who apologizes for her feelings

Not the one who mistakes peacekeeping for intimacy

If I cannot bring my full self to the table

I will not sit at that table

That is my line in the sand

So here’s what I believe:

You can hold your tenderness and your truth

You can love deeply and be discerning

You can choose connection without self-abandonment

In fact — that is the only love I trust anymore