I made hard decisions in my life
with my kids always in mind.

I wasn’t running toward pleasure.
I was walking away from harm.
From an environment full of tension, reactivity, and unspoken emotional bruises.
From anger that spilled into the corners of my children’s nervous systems.
From cycles I swore I wouldn’t pass down.

And when I left, I didn’t even leave for myself.

I left so they wouldn’t carry it.

BUT I STILL NEEDED SUPPORT
Someone who could help us stay grounded
while I uprooted my entire world
just to make sure they had somewhere safe to land.

But people don’t see that.

They don’t see the pain,
the emotional math I did every day just to keep things okay.

They see a woman with another man
and reduce my story to “she’s only thinking of herself and want a man.”

As if that would’ve made all this worth it.
As if I haven’t sacrificed more than they can imagine.
As if they could ever comprehend what it means
to rip yourself away from FALSE comfort
in service of your children’s long-term peace.

I left because I loved my kids more than your fear.
I stayed afloat for them.
I built the next chapter for them.
I carried everything
and got judged for choosing anything that looked like joy.

I left to protect.
And I did.
End of story.

Y’all just never listened to me really.