By Priscilla, Host of Mind Wonders Podcast

Sometimes people are so broken, they can’t even see the ones who see them.

They can’t recognize real love. Real kindness. The kind that shows up without conditions. The kind that just wants them to be okay.

And when someone’s been hurt—deeply hurt—sometimes even love feels like danger.

I’ve been thinking about how we carry pain, how we absorb trauma, and how it changes how we move through the world. Some people are just surviving. They’ve lost loved ones, trust, homes, relationships, dreams—and they’re still walking around looking whole. But inside? Inside, they’re just trying to hold it together.

And that’s when love—real, honest love—becomes hard to receive. It looks suspicious. It feels unsafe. Not because it is… but because the person has learned not to trust anything that feels good.

So what do you do when you’re the one offering that love?

What happens when you see someone so clearly—but they can’t see you?

The truth is: you hold space. You speak gently. You love without losing yourself. And sometimes, you walk away—not because you don’t care, but because you care enough not to add to their pain… or your own.

You don’t weaponize what they’ve been through.
You don’t use their trauma against them.
And you don’t stay to prove your worth.

You leave the door open with dignity. You walk away with grace.

Because love without peace isn’t love worth staying in.

And sometimes, people don’t recognize what they had until it’s gone. That’s not on you.

What you offered wasn’t wasted. It was felt. Even if they couldn’t say it, even if they didn’t show it, they knew. People always know when they’ve been met with genuine love.

So today, I just want to remind you:

• Don’t let their silence harden your heart.
• Don’t let their brokenness make you forget your value.
• And most of all—don’t become the thing that hurt them.

If you need to go, go with softness.
If you need to stay, stay with clarity.
But always, always—lead with grace.

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📌 This piece is adapted from the Mind Wonders podcast. Listen to the full episode wherever you stream podcasts.