Work Text:
The velvety sky outside Kathleen Wells' home office had slipped into twilight, the last streaks of gold melting into deep, clear blue. A gentle breeze rustled the papers on her desk as she breathed in the faint scent of honeysuckle and rain-damp grass. Her laptop hummed softly, ready for her thoughts. With a steadying breath, she began to type.
“Hello, friends. Kathleen here. Today, I want to talk about something many people struggle to name, even though it shapes so much of our lives. We live in a world that often praises overgiving, endless tolerance, and quiet endurance. And while those things are sometimes framed as virtues, they can also leave people worn down and unseen.
Let’s be honest: respect isn’t about who speaks the loudest or who gives the most at their own expense. Respect is mutual. It grows when care flows in both directions. If you find yourself always giving, always accommodating, always excusing someone’s insensitivity—while your needs go unanswered—that isn’t a balanced relationship. It’s a painful imbalance that deserves to be acknowledged.
Boundaries are not a failure of kindness. They are an expression of it—especially toward yourself. Saying no to disrespect, stepping back from manipulation, or recognizing when words are offered in place of genuine care doesn’t make you cold or ungrateful. It means you’re listening to what your well-being is asking of you.
When someone consistently brushes aside your feelings, ignores your effort, or speaks at you instead of with you, that isn’t something you need to fix. You are allowed to say, ‘This doesn’t work for me anymore.’ And if that honesty is met with anger, withdrawal, or guilt-tripping, it often reveals more about their capacity than your character.
At its core, respect is simple. It’s recognizing another person as a whole human being. It’s honoring boundaries without resentment, showing empathy through action—not just intention—and staying consistent. It’s about protecting dignity, even in moments of disagreement.
Your time, energy, and heart are finite, and they deserve care. It’s okay to save them for those who listen, who show up, and who value your presence instead of enduring it or taking it for granted.
There is nothing unkind about choosing yourself. There is nothing wrong with stepping back, speaking honestly, or letting go of relationships that leave you feeling diminished. Respect begins within, and from there, it teaches others how to treat you.
Until next time, take care of yourselves.
—Kathleen”
As night settled over the last traces of evening, the papers on Kathleen’s desk shifted gently in the cool breeze. She paused, reading her words once more. Somewhere out there, someone would recognize themselves in them—and maybe, just maybe, that recognition would be the beginning of giving themselves the respect they had been waiting for from others.