One-Sided Relationships: When Loving Them Costs You Yourself
Let’s talk about something we don’t always say out loud—
The heartbreak that doesn’t come from a breakup…
but from showing up for people who don’t show up for you.
You know the kind:
You remember their birthday, their interview, their breakdown from three Tuesdays ago.
They forget your name when they’re busy.
You send long texts, voice notes, lifelines.
They reply with dry “okays” and emojis—or not at all.
You love out loud. They stay on mute.
You give grace. They give breadcrumbs.
That kind of relationship? It’s a slow erosion of self.
It’s planting in soil that never intends to grow anything back.
And if you’re honest—it hurts worse than being alone.
Because loneliness in a crowd cuts deeper than solitude in peace.
Here’s the part that’s hard to accept:
You don’t have to be angry to walk away.
You don’t need closure. You don’t need a dramatic goodbye.
You just need to remember this—you matter too.
We teach others how to treat us by how we treat ourselves.
If you keep handing your heart to someone with slippery hands,
don’t be surprised when you keep finding it on the floor.
But this? This is your permission slip.
To stop trying to convince anyone to care.
To stop carrying people who wouldn’t crawl for you.
To stop mistaking connection for consistency.
It’s not selfish to choose you.
It’s not cruel to leave the table when love isn’t being served.
It’s not dramatic to say “I’m done” when you’ve already done the most.
You are not “too sensitive.”
You are not “asking for too much.”
You’re just finally realizing your worth—and refusing to shrink for people who refuse to rise.
Give yourself the love you keep giving away on discount.
Hold your own hand.
Answer your own needs.
And then—surround yourself with people who water you back.
Go where you are celebrated, not tolerated.
Where your presence is felt, not just noticed.
Where your energy is matched, your heart is held, and your love isn’t a labor—it’s a language they speak fluently.
Because the truth is—
You are not hard to love.
You’ve just been loving people who were never ready to meet you where you shine.
So shine anyway.
And let the ones who can’t handle your light fall away like dead weight.
