When Walking Away Is the Most Loving Thing You Can Do
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Hey Reader, Coming in hot, as I have something on my heart (and thought you may need to hear it, too): You do not owe your parents—or anyone else—a relationship just because they share your blood. I hear all the time, “You only get one mom.” And? I'm her only daughter. So many of us were taught that honoring our parents meant sacrificing ourselves. That unconditional love meant accepting emotional manipulation, guilt trips, boundary violations, or silence where there should’ve been safety. But here’s the truth that no one says out loud enough: Your parents aren’t owed a relationship. Respect is not automatic, it’s earned. And just because someone gave you life doesn’t mean they get to mistreat you without consequences. If you're considering going no contact, taking space, or even fully “orphaning” yourself from toxic family dynamics, know this: You're not being dramatic. You're being self-responsible. You're not selfish. You're self-protective. And choosing your peace isn’t a betrayal. It’s a reclamation. It takes guts to break the cycle. To stand up and say, “This ends with me.” If you wanna dive into this a little more, I did a podcast episode on WHY SELF-LOVE ISN'T SELFISH (listen anywhere you already get your podcasts). But you’re not alone in that. And you don’t have to carry the guilt that was never yours to begin with. Love always, |
Jess Leone
Hey Reader 🖤 Real talk: if you've been opening these emails for the last few weeks, you've gotten a lot of 'Victim to Villain energy' from me. That's been intentional because I know that some of you *needed* to hear it. But I want to ask you something honestly: When was the last time you read one of these and felt seen...not sold to? When was the last time something I wrote made you put your phone down and just breathe for a second? Because that's what this newsletter was built for. And...
You can spot the pattern, name the trigger, & explain exactly what needs to change. And still… you find yourself riiiight back in it. Am I right? 👀 Happy Saturday, I am here to wake you up & call you out (lovingly, of course)!! 🫶 Because I know you don’t struggle with knowing what to do. They struggle is actually living it, especially when you’ve been taught to prioritize being liked, needed, or “good” over being real. So we start there. We start with the gap between awareness and action....
There are seasons in life where things feel steady, and some where everything feels like it’s moving at once... A relationship changes.Your work doesn’t feel the same.You’re questioning things you used to feel sure about. Sometimes it’s obvious, but other times, it’s harder to name. You just wake up one day and think, “I don’t think this fits me anymore.” Those moments can feel unsettling. This moment came to me after I gave my TEDx talk in February, and it actually shook me to my core....