Rope burn comes from holding on while it slides. Sometimes you’ve got to grip tighter or let go, not both.

Damage comes from the middle position. Holding a rope that is sliding through your hands is worse than either gripping it hard or opening your fingers, and most of the pain in a drawn out situation comes from exactly that half commitment. You are staying, but not really. You are leaving, but not yet. The sliding is what burns, and it can go on for months.

Name the thing you are half holding. Choose one direction this week, in or out, and say it to one person so the choice has somewhere to live.