Athaiah Deshawn

What’s a lesson you’ve learned recently that shifted your perspective?

For a long time I’ve always thought that love would win people over. I’ve loved, I’ve lost, and I’ve been hurt.

I’ve give my heart to people just to have them break it. Yet somehow, I find the strength to continue loving others. Past hurts could have made me grow cold. It could have made me isolate myself from the world. It could have caused me to never love anyone again. To build a wall of protection around my heart.

I gave them all access to parts of me that should have been kept secret. I was vulnerable with them because I felt safe. I thought that when you love others and you feel safe, it’s a sign that you could invite them into the entirety of your life. Tell them things you’ve never whispered to a soul. But that only caused suspicion. And that suspicion turned into rejection.

It was when I heard these words, “You owe everyone love, but not everyone needs access; that’s earned.”