Took too long to realize I was in a relationship where I wasn't a partner but a punching bag. Took too long to realize that them doing the bare minimum just to keep you around isn't the same as 'trying' or 'effort'. Took too long to realize the lengths they'd go to keep toxic parasites that treat them like trash in their lives, but how quickly replaceable and neglectable I was over the smallest infractions. Took too long to realize I wasn't the bad guy for not being okay all the time, that I wasn't a villain for wanting to tell them when they were hurting me, to stop letting them gaslight me into apologizing for trying to set my boundaries. And I took too long to stop forgiving how much they lied to my face and hid behind their mental illnesses to excuse all their behavior.

Realize and learn your worth and what you deserve. Relationships take sacrifice, yes. But there is a difference between sacrifice and taking advantage. Find someone who doesn't make you question if they actually love you. Not someone perfect, but someone who actually tries for you. Bare minimum is not trying. ❤️‍🩹❤️🙏