January 3, 2025 · 5 min read
The moments that taught you to armor
Make a list. Not to relive them. To understand what your body was smart enough to protect you from.
Somewhere in your history is a short list of specific moments that taught your body softness was not safe.
The classroom you were laughed out of. The friend group that turned. The relationship where crying was used against you. The parent whose approval you never quite earned. Small moments that added up to a rule: do not let them see.
The armor was intelligent. It kept you functional in environments that could not hold your softness. That deserves acknowledgment, not shame.
The work now is not to hate the armor. It is to thank it and inform it that you no longer live in that environment. You are the boss now, and softness is safe on your watch.