You Need You More Than They Need You

"You are only obligated to urself n ur children" my best friend told me.... in my head I remember thinking but u don't understand because if I don't ...

Dad won't eat right. He will get sick n die.
My sister and her children need me.... who else is going to save them?
My brother is young he doesn't know any better; I have to show him.
My friends need guidance, I have to teach them. And if they don't have it I gotta get it to them because I have it. It's just the right thing to do.
I have to support all my friends in all their business ventures because they are my friends and that's what just what u do.

Yes I'm only having sex with him, but we are friends and he has to know, no one got him like I got him. He is my friend and lover in one. How cool is this? I can tell him all my secrets and have all the amazing sex I want. WINNING. 😐.... and that's just a few... I obligated myself to everyone I cared for.

Encourage. Support. Love. Teach. Show them ur mistakes so they won't make the same ones.
That was my mindset for everyone close to me. Everyone I ever said that I love. Everyone I ever connected myself to. I had to pour myself into them because that's just what is required. I love that's just what I do. Even if it doesn't come back to me. Even if it's never ever reciprocated. Even if it's unwarranted. Even if they are undeserving. It's just what I do.

April 23,2016. I was involved in single car accident. 4 ribs fractured right lung punctured. I remember thinking I killed my son... I remember worrying about being late for work. I think of the guy I was sleeping with at the time. I remember waking up to seeing 4 ppl. My father. 3 close female friends. Where was everyone else? I got a few phone calls. My sister who I hadn't spoken to in months... I remember her walking into the room and tears pouring out her face. I scared her. I immediately wanted to hug. I needed her there. Her showing up gave me strength.
I remember waking up and thinking FUCK IM LATE FOR WORK. They are gonna fire me. I remember being in the hospital room alone and thinking "where are all those damn ppl I woulda showed up for" .... Death knocked on my door and I can count on one hand who showed up for me. That was my peak. See God had started removing things from me n I didn't even notice until he exposed me to me. All the material things that mattered to me were gone; my car was the final piece. He had to expose me to myself. 4/23/16 he did. I tried to fight it. I accepted excuses and apologies. It was ok. I mean, I only could have died. No big deal. Really. Clearly. It was ok. In reality, it wasn't tho.
I was so busy loving everyone else.... I never took the time out to love me.
I never had the time to notice I was growing and changing and by the time I did, my body was broken n bruised all up. I wasn't happy with myself. I didn't recognize the person I had become. I was so angry inside. I was so sad inside. I was so distraught inside. But I couldn't stop. I had gotten into the habit of loving everyone else, I didn't even know how to love the woman I had become. I had no clue where to begin. So I started small. My appearance was always important to me. But I had realized my hair wasn't what made me beautiful. All my life I had ppl around me who raved over this thick curly hair.
I cut it all off.
Next. I realized I had so many negative ppl around me. I established a distance. I still love you .... but I gotta protect my space. This new woman, the woman I am becoming, I cannot be attached to negativity. I left them where they stood. I didn't warn them. I didn't explain myself. I just moved.
It's minor but I stopped the regular maintenance. Nails. Brows. Hair. I made an effort to get back into the habit. Those are things I do for myself. Non negotiable.

Then. My friends. The hardest part was removing ppl I never imagined living without. I mean how do u go from speaking everyday to not speaking at all. That's when I learned. Friends don't do things to u, that can bring u pain. Even if it's intentional, they won't make decisions that could possibly hurt u. They know u week enough to know what hurts u, what wouldn't. At least friends should. Not saying ur friends won't ever hurt u, they will. It's a difference between mistakes and choices. I looked at myself and said I'm this type of friend to my friends so why are u allowing this type of behaviors from ur "friends." I moved. No explanations. No warnings. We are grown. Just move. Everyone has sight but not everyone has vision and not everyone can go where u are going.

I remember being at therapy and my therapist asked.... "who makes time to take care of u while ur taking care of everyone else" and I sit down and thought about it and I realized. I have to be that person. I have to save me. No one else will.
And I made a promise to myself not to tolerate anything I wouldn't be willing to accept. Friends. Family. Any human.
I am only obligated to myself and my children.

THAT'S IT!