Someone told you their story. That doesn’t make it yours to retell.

Being told something hard is a loan, not a handover. It came to you because someone decided you were safe, and the moment you pass it on it becomes a thing that circulates with their name on it and your version of the details. What felt like sharing news on your end is a wall coming down on theirs. Trust breaks quietly and usually without them ever telling you why.

Before you repeat anything about a person, picture them standing next to you as you say it. If that image makes you flinch, the story is not yours.