When Kindness Is Misunderstood

I remember I never had a good relationship with my neighbors. Back when I was still on the scholarship, one of the regular questions during monitoring was always about how my relationship with the neighborhood was.
Honestly, I felt doomed every time that question came up. Like, how am I supposed to explain this mess? Wkwk.
I still remember how they used to treat my mother. My mom has always been a kind neighbor always patient, always sincere. But as I grew older, I realized that some people simply took advantage of her kindness. She was the type of person who would stay silent even when hurt, who would keep doing good without expecting anything in return.
But time changes people and so did we. My siblings and I grew up to be quite the opposite: stubborn, outspoken, and not afraid to defend ourselves when someone crossed the line.
I still remember one incident when our cat was accused of making a mess. The truth is, there were many cats around the neighborhood, and I always made sure to keep mine in a cage to avoid problems. But then I found out she talked about me to her friends while I was literally searching for my cat in front of her house.
I was exhausted from work that day, but after finding my cat, I couldn’t just stay quiet anymore. I stood up for myself. Like, “Do you really expect me to just stand here and listen to all that, ma’am?”
Apparently, that wasn’t our first head-to-head moment. My sister was even more sarcastic than I was, wkwkwk. After that, they slowly cut us off  and honestly, we were kind of relieved. Maybe being distanced from that kind of energy was a blessing after all.In the end, I realized that peace doesn’t always come from getting along with everyone. Sometimes, it comes from knowing when to stay quiet, when to walk away, and when to stop forcing connections that no longer bring kindness. My mother’s patience taught me sincerity, and our experience taught us boundaries. Both are lessons, one soft, one firm and together they shaped how we choose to live today.

Still kind, but wiser about where that kindness belongs.