when boundaries are avoidance

There are rooms, metaphorical rooms and literal rooms, where you don’t belong. There are always signs to let you know. Sometimes literal signs but more often metaphors.

The thing that inspirational quotes and Instagrammable memes about self care and self discovery don’t tell you is:

Sometimes you have to be in those rooms anyway. For work or for love or for lack of privilege to leave. Or, in this case, parenting.

We seem to be in an era of canceling and boundaries — terms people discovered and then embraced and then sometimes used so widely that all meaning was lost — terms people used as a way to support themselves that have also become a way avoid discomfort.

But I’m in an era of meaning towards acceptance. I can KNOW I’m in a situation where I’m not seen and accept that I have to be there.

Because acceptance isn’t resignation, acceptance is an invitation.

An invitation to see where you are and be yourself anyway. And invitation to put more energy into creating and growing the places you do belong to minimize the exhaustion and harm of time spent in places you don’t.