To the Empaths and Over-Givers: You’re Allowed to Rest

 

I just don’t get it. Why do people use and abuse the ones who would give the clothes off their backs? Why do they take and take from the ones who would starve just to make sure everyone else eats?

Some of us love so deeply we forget we exist. We stretch ourselves until there’s nothing left but fumes and silence and a lump in our throat we don’t talk about.

We give love that nobody earned. We offer safety that was never promised to us. And what do we get? We get overlooked. We get drained. We get left holding the weight while everyone else dances in the freedom we created for them.

It’s WILD.

Some people don’t even know what they’re doing. They think because we’re strong, we can take it. They assume because we never say “stop” or “I’m tired,” that we never feel tired. But the truth is, we continue to feel it all; We just hide it better. We swallow it.

They don’t see the damage because we hide the cracks. We smile when we’re aching. We say we’re okay because we’re scared that if we stop being okay, everything will fall apart.

Some of them know, though. And that’s what hurts the most.

They know you’re giving more than you should. They know you’re carrying too much. And instead of easing your load, they add to it. Instead of pouring into you, they drain you. Some people only know how to take. And when they meet someone who only knows how to give, it becomes a one-sided war. You lose every time.

And sometimes they get mad when you finally say “no.” When you finally stand up for yourself or whisper, “I need help,” they act like you changed. They don’t realize you were drowning the whole time... they just loved how peaceful the water looked from their side.

You are not weak for needing rest. You are not selfish for choosing yourself. You are not rude for asking someone to meet you halfway.

The truth is, you deserve more than just survival. You deserve to be loved the way you love others. You deserve to be chosen in rooms where you’re not the one bending.

If nobody told you lately, you’re allowed to stop giving until it hurts. You’re allowed to protect your peace. And it doesn’t make you bitter…. it makes you brave.

Let them learn how to feed themselves for once. Let them carry their own weight. You’ve done enough.

When will you learn to stop pleasing the eyes of others and finally contribute to your own well-being? 

Let the waffles burn; the iron shouldn't have been so hot in the first place. People
forget we're human too, and we don't run on a limitless battery. We need to power down too sometimes, if not ALWAYS.