You don’t need to say it

Because if you do

Your actions will speak louder

Take it for what it is

You may believe your right

That what you’re saying is true

Because, to you, it is

But the actions that follow say more

The truth lies in what you don’t say

In how you treat others

Or try to ‘fix’ me into something ‘better’?

See me for me?

Or put me in a ‘box’ based on your view of someone else connected to me?

It’s easy to compartmentalize someone based on what you see

An image

Or by the people that may be associated with any given individual

But are you willing to see beyond it?

Dig dipper to see if what you’re assuming is correct?

Granted, some cases are obvious

But are they all?

Are you categorizing?

I may not fit the box you put me in

But why are people being judged by what box they should fit in?

Maybe it’s time to rethink how individuals are viewed

There’s more to any given individual (and situation) than what you see

Or even told

There’s always a trail that follows any given person

Just because the start line is the same

Doesn’t mean the route to the finish line is

Some made the choice themselves

Others has the choice made made for them

Either way, none of them will be making their way back ‘in’

Things have happened

A lot of which proved to be eye opening

Not only for the problems it showed

But also for how others reacted to the problem

And the fallout that followed

For the biggest problem in life may not necessarily be the path you’re on

But the people you encounter on that path

Many may have good intentions

But the random one doesn’t

And unless you’ve dealt with one that loves to create chaos wherever they go

And it results in individuals becoming lost to the chaos and the challenges that come with it

You don’t have the right to critique how they move forward

For sometimes the problematic ones come in ‘pretty packages’ and lay the blame on the victim

Or the problem is placed on the shoulders of someone simply because of association (‘the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree’)

The loss that follows is sometimes easier to deal with

Because after you start to find yourself again

The ultimate goal is keep peace with yourself

Anyone lost in the process wasn’t meant to stay

Even if you can’t understand it

The one who walked away

Intentionally

After months (maybe years) of telling their story

Only for it to fall in deaf ears

So silence followed

And a departure

No explanation

No notice

Just gone

For there are times situations arise

Where information trickles down the grapevine

You hear (or get told) of something that has happened

But it seems too far fetched

So you categorize it

Put it aside

But the story won’t go away

It keeps getting told

More details emerge

Still doesn’t seem believable

Maybe a little misperception is mixed in

Either intentionally or subconsciously

Biases may be coming to the surface

Because there may be a history involved associated with parties connected to the one making the claims

So when a break happens

And they walk

Because they’re just done

But a no contact situation has now occurred

One you may (or may not) have seen coming

Are you now seeing things you didn’t before?

Words can only convey so much

Silence doesn’t offer expectations

But sometimes, walking away brings peace

And truth

A new path is being forged without you in it

Even if the original intention was to keep you involved

But it became necessary to remove you

For you may be holding onto a truth doesn’t actually exist

Except to you

When you’re knee deep in a war you didn’t start

When the silent treatment is being hashed out as a ‘punishment’ over something you didn’t even do

When you remain silent about what’s happening only for the offended party to double down on ‘what’s right’ and how you’re ‘wrong’

And you’re put into a position where you’re ‘damned if you do, damned if you don’t’

So you go ahead and live how you choose

Silently doing you

Silently doing what’s necessary

Silently doing what’s right

Silently moving forward

Silently just ‘doing’

No fuss

No drawing attention

But refusing to back down

Just silent

When there’s so much to say

But no amount of words can convey the context

Words

So many thoughts

So many experiences

So many expectations

But no amount of words will be able to convey any of it

Because what’s happening in my world isn’t the same as what’s happening in yours

Because the results you expect with the advice you give isn’t feasible

It’s already been tried

Multiple times

Multiple ways

Because situations sometimes fall through the cracks

And this is one of them

Where things SHOULD be covered

But aren’t

Where excuses are being made for people when they shouldn’t be

Where context is important

But is overlooked

Because words are taken as face value

When grace is needed

But judgements are passed instead

When action (and help) is needed most

But watching from afar is preferred

Because words can only convey so much

Even if you THINK you have a pretty good idea of what’s happening

Without taking into account the actions or mindset of the other parties involved

Because they have a bigger impact than you think they do

Just because YOU ‘walk the line’

Doesn’t mean ALL individuals do

For when you see where others are coming from (you don’t necessarily need to understand the reasoning behind it)

It changes how you react

Because words mean nothing if you don’t see the context or ‘the other side’

I found mine

And I’ve discovered people don’t like it

I’ve gotten to the point where I’ve been labeled difficult

But I don’t care

If advocating for myself makes you uncomfortable

If setting boundaries makes you question my motives

If standing firm and holding my ground makes me the bad guy

Then the problem isn’t me

I’d rather speak up and speak out

Being the ‘nice one’ is overrated if results in you in being someone else’s punching bag

Label me as difficult

Label me as overreacting

Label me as ‘the problem’

It only reinforcing I’m right in taking a stance and using my voice

You’ve already attempted it once

You started a fire

Then stood in the flames claiming you were the victim

I am very aware you’re mad at me

And it’s over something YOU did

But you’re using smoke and mirrors

Trying to deflect and project

I have no interest in going down that road

Nor fanning the flames of the fire you started

Make as many attempts as you want to draw me in

I refuse to participate

Spin it however you want

It’s not going to change it

You got called out

Multiple times

And you’re going to keep getting called out

Not obnoxiously

That’s you’re department

You can disliking me

I’m not going to go out of my way to change your opinion of me

There’s no point

Your mind was made up long before you started a war over something you did

I have no interest in participating in your war

No matter how many times you try to draw me in