Author Honey Badger

It comes from knowing exactly what happens when limits are not honored. I did not wake up one day deciding to close doors. I learned where leaving them open led.

Some people move through the world assuming that certain bodies exist to be drawn from. That if someone is capable, thoughtful, or generous, they should remain permanently available. They approach people the way corporations approach land: extract first, justify later.

So when care turns into labor, many women blame themselves for feeling tired, resentful, or angry—rather than questioning the expectation itself.

Some people mistake proximity for permission. They believe that shared history, family ties, professional roles, or emotional familiarity entitle them to continued access. They don’t ask. They assume.

I am an independent woman. I manage my own medications. I take myself to my own medical appointments. I live with chronic pain and autoimmune disease — and I take responsibility for myself every day. I do not need grown men outsourcing adulthood to women and calling it “care.”