"This stops with me You weren’t there. Not when it mattered. Not when I needed more than silence, more than rules, more than a shadow pretending to be love. I looked for comfort and found cold. I looked for warmth and found walls. But I’m done carrying your absence like a mirror. I won’t become what broke me. If I was judged, I’ll choose understanding. If I was rejected, I’ll choose acceptance. If I was shamed, I’ll choose compassion , even when it’s hard, especially when it hurts. Because I don’t want to pass down pain like it’s a family heirloom. I want to be what I needed. Not another scar. Not another silence. I vow to heal instead of harden. To feel instead of fold. To act from love, not from wounds. This cycle ends with me. And something softer begins." ✍️🏻By ©️2025 Christina Stewart ~♡~ To all you brave ones out there ... I hope you choose the better way too, which is the more difficult, but so blessed way, for your own joy and healing ... Love, Hantie - A Friend 🌺 🎨Art Credit | Pinterest, various uploads * Full length image in the first comment