A Community That Feels Like Home

You finally found a community that feels like home. People who understand the struggle you’ve been through. But sometimes, you feel a pull to guard it. To question if others are “really” part of this group if their pain doesn’t look like yours.

This is gatekeeping. And it often comes from a wounded place; a fear that if more people come in, your own pain will be diluted, your safe space will be lost. Your mind is just trying to protect what finally made you feel seen.

But here’s the hard truth: true healing thrives in connection, not in fences. When we gatekeep, we don’t just lock others out; we lock ourselves in a smaller, lonelier world. We rob ourselves of the chance to be surprised by someone else’s story, to learn, and to grow.

Your experience is valid, full stop. It doesn’t become less real because someone else’s is different. So let’s put down the guard duty. Let’s make our circles wider, not tighter. Because a community that heals is one that welcomes every step of the journey, no matter where it started.

Tell your friend about MANI today!

-Oluwasemire from MANI