If love is a warm hug, emotional boundaries are the cozy sweater that keeps that hug from turning into a chokehold. We often assume boundaries are fences built for strangers, but the truth is: we need the strongest boundaries with the people we love the most. Why? Because closeness without clarity becomes chaos.
As the writer Prentis Hemphill famously said,
“Boundaries are the distance at which I can love you and me simultaneously.”
Our closest people — parents, partners, children, best friends — occupy VIP seats in our emotional theatre. But if we let them rewrite the script every day, we become side characters in our own story. Boundaries make sure we’re still the main lead.
Think about Elizabeth Gilbert in Eat, Pray, Love. Her entire journey began because she realised she was dissolving into the lives, dreams, and emotional storms of others. Her story reminds us that self-abandonment is not love — it’s exhaustion with lipstick.
Or consider The Alchemist. Santiago sets boundaries with comfort, expectations, and even loved ones to follow his Personal Legend. His journey suggests:
“If you do not claim your emotional space, life will claim it on your behalf — usually without your permission.”
The humour lies in how we all slip.
Your mother-in-law comments on your parenting “just to help.”
Your friend calls you at 11 pm because they saw a meme that reminded them of their ex.
Your partner assumes your free time is automatically shared time.
You nod, smile, and somewhere inside, a tiny emotional dinosaur roars softly.
The danger is subtle. Without boundaries, even love becomes heavy. When we absorb too many emotions that don’t belong to us, we turn into human sponges — wrung out, soggy, and slightly resentful.
But here’s the beautiful twist:
Boundaries don’t push people away; they keep relationships healthy.
They prevent emotional overstepping, miscommunication, silent expectations, and the slow-burning resentment that destroys closeness over time.
Brené Brown writes in Daring Greatly:
“The most compassionate people are also the most boundaried.”
Because when we protect our energy, we show up with genuine love — not obligation.
Healthy emotional boundaries say things like:
“I love you — but your mood is not my responsibility.”
“I care — but I can’t fix everything.”
“I’m here — but I also need space for me.”
This is how we maintain dignity without distance, warmth without burnout, care without losing ourselves.
We often forget that even the sun keeps boundaries — it shines on everyone, but nobody is allowed to sit on its surface.
✨ Thought to Ponder
If the people closest to you truly love you, shouldn’t they also love the space where you grow, breathe, and be yourself?
Sharon's Read And Reflect 
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