What I have learned through the years is that I am amiable and quick to being friendly so I have had to practice stepping back and taking an honest appraisal of relationships.

A relationship can feel balanced, with give and take or it can be one sided or in the worst cases, toxic. I have in the past, given and given and now I find I am more discerning.

I tend to keep most people at a distance, but when I do get close, I get very familiar.

I am honest to a fault these days and I am not comfortable with energy or time wasters anymore. I prefer not to spend time doing anything not enjoyable. Don’t we all have enough to do that is required without extra unpleasantries?

All relationships ebb and flow and we are all human. I find disagreements, disillusions and disappointments are sometimes of my own making, fueled by my own unrealistic expectations. But, a fine line is crossed when I truly have a pebble in my shoe, too irritating to bear any longer.

At this and any age, I must consider all the pros and cons and make healthy decisions that enhance my life, not take away from it.