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I know only a vague concept of the past hurts you have experienced and the wounds that never fully healed because of it, but I was not the one who actually hurt you.

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I confused abuse for love when I looked for the damaged parts inside him and tried to love them.

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I lacked the self-worth I needed to walk away. I lacked the confidence to know that I deserved better. I let embarrassment and self-doubt get the best of me.

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It starts out like a dream.

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Then I breathe. I’m awake, and you being asleep is just the calm before every storm. Why am I not used to this yet?

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Draw the line, enforce your boundaries, limit contact, be mindful of your energy, and finally leave if need be.

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I’m choosing to believe that. After my abuse, I can have a healthy relationship.

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I remember the first time my body tried to tell me something.

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We finesse our way through our day only to fall apart at night silently, alone, and isolated.

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The burden is not yours to carry, but you carry it anyway.