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When Everyone Keeps Taking Slices of Your Cake

The Day Your Cake Stops Feeling Like a Celebration There’s a specific kind of exhaustion that comes from realizing your cake is always being cut — even when it’s not your birthday. You didn’t offer slices. You didn’t invite everyone. You didn’t say, “Help yourself.” Yet plates keep appearing. Forks keep clinking. Hands keep reaching. And the moment you react, that becomes the issue. Not the endless slicing. Not the ignored signals. The reaction. This isn’t about generosity. It’s about who feels entitled to the cake. Growing Up Learning to Share Before You’re Asked Some people don’t grow up learning how to protect their cake. They grow up learning how to share automatically. They learn early: don’t say no don’t make it awkward don’t ruin the mood So they cut the cake themselves. Even when they’re hungry. Even when the cake is small. Even when no one asked nicely. Sharing becomes muscle memory. Not a choice — a reflex. When Sharing Turns Into Expectation At first, people appreciate it. “...
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How to Translate This Blog

Guidelines for Reading in Your Language

I know that readers may arrive here from different parts of the world, each with their own language and way of understanding. To make this space more welcoming, a translation option has been added to the blog.

Where to Find the Translate Option

This blog includes a built-in tool powered by Google Translate. It allows you to read the content in a language that feels natural to you.

The translate feature is generally found in the blog’s sidebar.

Look for a section titled "Translate" or "Select Language."

Steps to Translate the Blog

- Open the dropdown menu in the Translate section.
- Choose your preferred language from the list.
- The page will reload and display the blog in the selected language.

A Thoughtful Note

Because translation is handled automatically by Google, some phrases—especially those that are emotional or reflective—might not come through exactly as written. Even so, I hope the core feeling of each piece still reaches you, wherever you are in the world.

Thank You

Whether you are reading from near or far, in English or through translation, I’m truly glad you’re here. If something in these writings stays with you, then this space has done what it was meant to do.

— Clove

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