i don't leave when it gets hard. i leave when it gets disrespectful. i can stay when things are tough, i can stay when problems come, i can stay when life is heavy and nothing feels easy. i don't run away just because things are not perfect. i can handle fights, i can handle misunderstandings, i can handle the days when we don't agree. i can forgive mistakes, i can be patient with flaws, but i cannot stay when respect is gone. i cannot stay when i am spoken to without respect or when i am treated like i am less than i am. hard times can be worked through together, but disrespect is different. disrespect breaks trust. it breaks the love that holds people close. it changes the way i see someone. hard times can be fixed, but disrespect cannot be undone. once it happens again and again, it leaves me with no choice but to leave.