The Quiet Grief of Outgrowing One-Sided Friendships
What happens when you stop begging people to show up for you
I’m a giver.
It’s never been about strategy.
I hype you in rooms you’re not in.
I help with your launch deck.
I show up, I repost, I celebrate your wins like they’re mine.
But one of the hardest lessons I’ve learned in my 30s?
If it’s not returned, it’s not love.
It’s emotional self-abandonment.
I used to tell myself,
“Maybe they’re just busy.”
“Maybe they show love differently.”
“Maybe they’re going through something.”
But deep down, I knew:
They didn’t want to see me bloom.
There was no blow-up.
No betrayal.
Just a quiet, aching grief.
Of realizing the people I rooted for the loudest…
Never rooted for me.
And that’s what no one talks about when we say,
“Protect your peace.”
Sometimes, the people draining you the most…
are the ones you love the most.
So I did the hardest thing I’ve ever done:
I stopped centering people who never made space for me.
Not with resentment.
But with discernment.
And in that new space?
I found people who love like I love.
Who show up unprompted.
Who celebrate without an agenda.
Who pour back without keeping score.
One question for your week:
Are you still giving front-row seats to people who wouldn’t stand for you in the back?
One action to take:
Audit your emotional investments this week.
Who do you consistently pour into without ever feeling refilled?
Circle just one name you need to stop centering, and practice redirecting that energy back to yourself.
Soft Nest Personal Favorites
If you’re in a season where softness feels out of reach, here are a few beauty products I personally use and love to help you reconnect with rest, ritual, and radiance
Yummy skin blurring balm powder by Danessa Myricks
When it’s hot out, and on days I skip foundation, this is my go-to for a fresh, breathable look
The wines velvety matte lipstick by Juvia’s place
An affordable red lipstick that never misses
Lash demi wispies 5 pair multipack
The lashes that get me compliments every time
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This was so good & timely. I’m 24 (I’ll be 25 in October) i mention that because i feel like the closer i get to my prefrontal lobe fully developing the more i recognize this. This grief hit me randomly on a random Thursday in May. I appreciate feeling heard in this season 🩷 keep posting this content! I resonate with it!