On Belonging and Building Trust

When I imagine being met with a simple request, spoken with openness and desire — it lands in my body with warmth. There’s something so human in that moment: I’m seen where I am, and I’m invited forward without demand.

For me, being okay with someone’s “no” is a sign of belonging. Being able to say “no” is also a sign of belonging. Allowing another person to be just as they are — with their yes, their no, their need, their silence — is the deepest sign of belonging I know.

In that space, demands transform into requests. Needs stop being expectations and instead become a beautiful part of existing.

This is the core of relationship for me. And yet, it often feels like there isn’t a ready-made place where this kind of belonging is shared. Which means we have to build it. Together.

For me, this is part of what community means: creating the trust that allows us to say yes or no without fear, to make requests without collapse, and to honor each other’s humanity even when it doesn’t match our own hopes.

Belonging isn’t given; it’s built. And trust isn’t automatic; it’s grown. This is the work I want to be part of — here, with you.