„Can I kiss you?“
Words like that can feel electric.
Tender. Brave. And sometimes... heartbreaking.
I heard questions like that more than once. On the dance floor. At a party. A get together. Moments full of color, connection, aliveness.
And still, mostly I said „no“.
Not because I didn’t appreciate the ask.
But because I didn’t feel it.
Saying no, even kindly, is harder than it sounds, especially when you see the other person shrink a little.
Disappointment hits — and something in me wants to catch it.
To make it better. To not be the reason someone hurts.
But I’ve learned: I can be warm and honest. I can care and say no.
Because if I override what’s true for me...
I betray the one relationship I’ll have for the rest of my life: the one with myself.
It’s not rejection.
It’s self-respect.
It’s presence.
We all walk into moments like this with our own history —
sometimes tender, sometimes brave, sometimes still healing.
Consent isn’t just about what we can do. It’s about what we feel.
And honoring that — from both sides — is where real connection starts 🤍
