I corrected the false impression in the room instead of.....

Dear Delyara, My natural instinct is to avoid making the room more awkward, tell myself I’m probably overreacting, and plan a cleaner explanation for a later moment that often never comes. This time, when something was said that quietly placed responsibility in the wrong place, I corrected it then and there. Calmly. Clearly. Without an apology wrapped around my name. The room moved on. I stayed intact. There was a small shock in my body afterwards, but also relief. I’m beginning to trust that more — the relief that follows honest self-protection.