Where My Heart Learned to Stop

I did not suffer because I was unworthy. I suffered because I kept giving my heart To places that did not know how to hold it. I stayed gentle in moments Where I should have protected myself. I kept showing up Even when I was quietly breaking. The pain did not come from being good— It came from not knowing when to stop. From believing that love meant endurance, That loyalty meant self-sacrifice, That my softness was something to prove. But now I understand: My compassion is precious. My presence has value. And not everyone deserves access to my heart. I did not lose. I learned— To love without abandoning myself.