I don’t have to perform, prove, beg, chase, or pay for anyone’s presence in my life. The people who truly love me — they show up. They call, they care, they remember. They give their time because they want to, not because I’ve earned it or bargained for it.

Love that costs you your dignity is not love.
Love that makes you question your worth isn’t love.
Love that must be bought is manipulation wrapped in affection.

This season of my life — this summer especially — is about receiving love freely given. The kind that says:
“I’m here.”
“I care.”
“You matter to me.”
…without conditions, without invoices, without hidden motives.

I’m no longer investing in connections that make me feel like I’m not enough unless I’m overextending myself.
I’m no longer entertaining people who only show up when they need something.
And I’m certainly not available for anyone who treats my love like it’s something they’re entitled to without giving anything real in return.

I am not for sale.
My heart is not a vending machine.
My presence is not a reward to be earned by manipulation.
My worth is not measured by how much I can give while being given nothing in return.

I welcome the love that flows freely — warm, honest, and mutual. That’s the only kind of love I will surround myself with from here on.