Those who take advantage of your kindness don't deserve your energy, your time, or a spot in your heart.

Enough is Enough: A Woman's Journey to Self-Love

I've walked countless miles, paths paved with giving and devotion,
Crafting smiles from my own sweat,
With each step, giving away a piece of my heart.
I was an endless well, a spring of generosity,
Offering freely, hoping for just a hint of return,
A gesture, some semblance of equality.

But in this game of giving without getting,
I found myself alone, soul teetering on the brink,
Feeding shadows that knew only how to take.
My partner, an embodiment of ceaseless need,
Drank from my well, never quenching their thirst,
Turning my love into an endless deed.

I gave without expecting, believing in the nobility of giving,
But mistook tolerance for surrender,
Allowing manipulation to dictate my living.
"It’s not selfish," I remind myself, to shut doors on demand,
To those who only come to take,
Leaving me hollow, hand empty of sand.

This evolution, a journey back to self,
Realizing my worth isn't tied to another's validation.
I've learned my misplaced generosity
Was a wasted gift on those who lacked appreciation.

So, with heart in hand and eyes on the future,
I choose to end this cycle of imbalance.
"Enough," my soul firmly whispers, reawakening,
Freeing myself, reclaiming my essence.

No more shadows at my doorstep, no more void in my giving,
Today I embrace self-love, and begin truly living.
On a path where my generosity
Is my choice, not a burden, not a plea.

To those who misused my kindness, I bid farewell,
Not with malice, but with the peace of finding myself.
And on this journey to reclaiming me, I've finally seen,
The deepest love starts within, unbound, serene.

With each step forward, I'm rewriting my narrative,
A woman who learned to say no,
Whose reflection now shines, vivid and affirmative.
Not for what she gives, but for who she is,
Whole and unowed, living in her own rhythm,
Free, strong, in her own narrative.

© Shoshan