Julie Jewels Smoot

Some people will not explain. Some will not take responsibility. Some will remember the story in a way that protects them. Some will move on without acknowledging the harm. Some will treat the distance as your problem because that is easier than facing their part in it.

Sometimes it happens through a single moment of betrayal. Sometimes it happens through years of being interrupted, dismissed, ignored, or told that their experiences do not matter. Sometimes it happens because speaking became unsafe.