Stepping Back, Not Away

Stepping Back, Not Away: A status update on our mother daughter relationship.

There comes a point when love has said everything it can say.

When you’ve done everything that was asked, and silence still answers you back.

That’s where I am now.

I understand that my girls need space. Maybe it feels safer for them, quieter, easier. I don’t blame them for that. I’ve walked through my share of hard things too, and I know what it’s like to want peace at any cost.

I’ve done what was asked of me — every condition, every step, even the uncomfortable ones. The test was done, though not in the exact form someone else decided it should be. Still, it was done in good faith, honestly and completely. And if the small details of how I did it have become the reason to stay away, then maybe the truth isn’t what’s being tested anymore.

So I’m stepping back — not away.

Because chasing people who don’t want to be chased feels like bleeding love into a void. Because I can’t keep trying to talk to walls of silence. Because I deserve to feel peace too.

To my girls:

I love you more than these words could ever carry. I’ll always be here — quietly, steadily — keeping space ready for when you’re ready.

Until then, I’ll keep living gently, the way love should have always felt.

— Mom