
I used to hand my light away, wrapped in soft explanations, thinking that if they understood, they’d finally let me be. But peace is not a bargain, and boundaries are not doors to be barged through. A “No” is a sacred prayer—whispered, firm, a shield drawn in quiet gold. I am not for every table, not every voice deserves my ear, not every gaze deserves my truth. Now I sip my stillness like warm tea, wearing the kind of beautythat comes from choosing myself, again and again—without guilt, without apology. And if they call me distant, cold or hard to reach, I’ll smile—because that meansmy peace is still mine.

