Let go of the hate to make space for love.

But examine the hate first.

There is a temptation to treat letting go like disposal.

Get rid of the anger. Stop thinking about it. Move on.

But sometimes anger is carrying data.

Before you throw it out, taste it.

Where did it come from? What boundary got crossed? What kept happening long after you knew better?

Hate, it turns out, is a little like smoked meat.

Salty. Rich. Deeply satisfying in very small quantities.

The smoke clings. The fat coats your tongue. After enough of it, everything else starts tasting a little less vivid.

Wonderful on a charcuterie board.

Not something anybody mistakes for a cardiovascular health plan.

A fake friend can be remarkably similar.

Fun here and there. Great stories. Maybe even something that tastes a lot like belonging.

The problem isn’t one slice.

It’s building your diet around it.

A real friend behaves like a friend.

You don’t have to decode them, manage them, excuse them, or spend three days recovering from the privilege of their company.

Real friendship should not require sacrificing your peace simply to preserve someone else’s access to you.

So examine the hate.

Let it tell you what happened.

Extract the lesson. Change the boundary. Then release whatever no longer needs to be carried.

You can appreciate smoked meat without making it a food group.

Same with some people.

Fun isn’t the same as nourishing.