Some people find it nearly impossible to give up on others. They hold on through disappointment, mistreatment, even outright neglect—because, deep down, the idea of walking away feels unnatural. Almost wrong.
It took years to understand why.
A child doesn’t get to decide who stays or leaves. A seven-year-old with a distant mother or an unpredictable father doesn’t think, “This relationship is unhealthy for me.” They adjust. They learn to wait for warmth, to decode mixed signals, to justify the absence of kindness. They convince themselves that if they are good enough, patient enough, small enough, they will be loved the way they need to be.
And that pattern doesn’t just disappear with age.
The child who learned to endure grows into an adult who still clings. Not just to parents, but to friendships, relationships, jobs, mentors—anyone who echoes that old, familiar dynamic. And suddenly, “not giving up” becomes a badge of honor. Proof of patience. Proof of loyalty. Proof of love.
But not every bond is worth saving. Not every relationship deserves another chance. Some people will never meet you where you stand, no matter how long you wait. And sometimes, the strongest thing to do isn’t holding on—it’s recognizing that you are no longer a child.
You can stop chasing. You can stop proving. You can stop excusing.
The hardest part isn’t letting go. It’s believing you’re allowed to.
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