A Thoughtful Tuesday Post

I’ve noticed something about myself… I keep expecting “me” from other people. And when I don’t find it, I feel that sting of disappointment.

Maybe it’s because I grew up without much family around, so I made my friends my family. For a long time, that worked. We matched each other’s energy, gave and received freely, and simply enjoyed being in one another’s presence. I was there for them, and they were there for me. It felt natural, almost effortless.

So I assumed that’s how it would be with anyone I called a friend. But life has a way of showing you otherwise. Not everyone will meet you where you are. Not everyone can give at the level you give. And that doesn’t mean they don’t care, it just means they’re on a different wavelength.

The hard part is realizing when it hurts to keep pouring yourself out and not feeling it flow back. That’s when it’s time to pause, to reflect. For me, I think it ties back to that longing for chosen family. Some friends will rise to that place in your life. Others won’t, and that’s okay.

What matters most is that I stay whole. That I hold my peace. No one else should have the power to make me feel incomplete or unseen. Wholeness is something I owe to myself first. And from that place, I know I’ll continue to find the ones who feel like home, the ones who feel like family.