August🏳️‍⚧️| CO|24

— Robert Tew

— R.M. Drake

Something I’ve learned recently is that working past a toxic relationship comes in stages. For a long while, I took time to be single. To learn how to love and live with myself and to be happy in myself. I worked on myself constantly and eventually I felt ready to try again. I was very happily single and capable of thriving alone. Then one day a healthy relationship came along. This is a new stage of healing. Small things still trigger disproportionate reactions or feelings. I have to question “Is this reaction actually granted, given the situation or am I bringing old thoughts to a new situation”. I find new insecurities and needs that I didn’t know I still had because being single never tested me in that way. It’s a challenge to unlearn toxic patterns, but it’s worth every effort.

— Unknown