You see them struggling.
You want to help.
Of course you do.
You love them.
But there’s a line —
between standing beside someone,
and carrying them where they won’t walk.
Support says:
I believe in you.
Saving says:
You can’t do this without me.
Support holds a hand.
Saving takes over.
Support honors their timeline.
Saving rewrites it.
Support listens.
Saving fixes.
Saving looks heroic.
It feels noble.
But sometimes…
it’s a mask for control.
Or guilt.
Or the part of you that still thinks love means rescue.
You are not their answer.
You are not their oxygen.
You are not responsible for their becoming.
You can walk beside them.
Cheer for them.
Rest with them when it gets hard.
But their life is theirs.
Because when you save someone,
you take away their power.
And when you support them,
you help them remember it.
This is the Cushy way.
Compassion without control.
Presence without pressure.
Love that uplifts, not overrides.
The goal isn’t to carry them.
It’s to remind them they can rise.
