the day I learnt that bonds are strengthened by asking for exactly what you need, my brain changed.
you allow the people who love you, to love you more by letting them in and allowing them to show up how you need.
every minor encounter that reminds you how unseen you are by someone you consider in meaningful ways - the exit sign flashes louder and louder. At some point, you find yourself on the otherside of what seemed distant and impossible.
"death by a thousand paper cuts" is something people who are really interested in having long term successful relationships should know about. It's a lesson many learn after the fact tho. Like that guy who wrote about his wife divorcing him because he left dishes by the sink.