Shrink no more

Dear woman,

You aren't weak because you endured, not broken because you stayed or left. Stayed too long or left too early.

Survival doesn't follow a script , there's no defined way to escape harm.

What you endured wasn't love,not discipline- it was neither normal nor your fault.

Violence lies,

It convinces you that silence is safety, endurance is virtue and pain makes you stronger.

Dear woman :

The one who left, you are strong, courageous, and finally free. You aren't a cautionary tale.

The one still trapped,

You aren't foolish, neither are you blind. Just know that violence isn't love and it's not your responsibility to endure.

Control isn't care, fear isn't loyalty and silence isn't safety. But if all you can do today is survive one more time, that counts as hope too.

Just know that you have a right to rebuild yourself, and at your own pace. You can be angry, grieve or feel nothing at all.

But at the end, choose yourself.

Choose healing, set boundaries, rest without apology, say no and mean it. Say yes to safety and to yourself.

Reach out quietly if you must

Now if you can ,later if you must

Again and again if you have to.

Shrink no more,

Because shrinking makes violence comfortable. And stop explaining abuse to those who are committed to misunderstanding you.

Choose you;

You are beautiful, you are strong, you are powerful, you are worthy and you matter.

Believe in your becoming, whatever you endured doesn't define you.