„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 🤍