Withdrawing When I Should Have Stayed Close

I'm sorry for pulling away from you. When I got upset, instead of letting you in, I built distance between us — and that wasn't fair to you. You didn't deserve to feel shut out, especially when what I really needed was to be closer to you, not further away.

I know this is a pattern for me, but that doesn't excuse how it made you feel. You could never annoy me. The distance was about me protecting myself, not about anything you did wrong. I'm going to work on that — on staying present with you even when I'm hurting, because you matter too much to lose to my own walls.

I love you so much. You're my favorite person to talk to, and I don't want to shut you out again. Thank you for being patient with me. I promise I'll do better.