Today was one of those days.

It started off great, with my partner leaving me warm kisses before heading off for the day. But somewhere along the way, it turned into high stress and that weird kind of loneliness that can creep in even when you know you’re not actually alone.

First, it’s the end of a chapter with one of my contracts. It’s going to temporarily put a strain on my finances because I rely on multiple sources of income. And there’s a lot of stress underneath this transition because, right now, I don’t have much control over what happens next.

So, I keep moving forward.

I update my sites. I make myself available. I look at what’s next. I remind myself that I’ve gotten through transitions before.

But today was also solemn for another reason.

A long-time acquaintance may have been hurt by my honesty about why she doesn’t have my new number.

Back in April, I changed my number and only gave it to a handful of people. Lately, the constant dings and rings have aggravated me beyond belief. I even wrote about it in July 2025 [see blog]. I wanted less noise. Less access. More quiet.

She must have reached out, realized she didn’t have my information, and tried to contact me on another platform. Rather than ghost her there, I responded honestly. I told her I would be more than happy to communicate through email, the same email address she’s had for years.

The difference is that my phone gives people unlimited access to me in a way that email doesn’t. And, quite frankly, I’m enjoying the quiet and the cleanse that came with changing my number.

Essentially, I was honest about being intentional.

And while I don’t regret the decision, I do feel a little bad knowing that she may have been hurt by it.

That’s the uncomfortable part about honesty. Sometimes you can be honest without being cruel, and someone can still be hurt by what you say.

But I’d rather be honest.

After all, I preach honest and open communication across every major platform I have. I can’t exactly spend my days telling other people to communicate honestly and then avoid doing the same thing when it’s uncomfortable for me.

And then, because apparently that wasn’t enough for one day, one of the PMs I work with made a fuss about me not answering one of his questions directly via email this morning.

I already have unfavorable energy around working with him. He’s one of those people who, from my perspective, seems to have gotten the job because of who he knows but is highly unqualified for it.

And that’s frustrating enough.

But when someone who is barely competent in his own program’s processes, relies on me for a lot of information, doesn’t communicate particularly well, and continuously seems to be a source of frustration for the team makes a point of complaining about how I communicate?

Yeah. I don’t take that lightly.

I work really hard for my reputation.

In many instances, I go above and beyond. I have felt like I’ve had to prove myself over and over again. Not because of my skin. Not because I’m a woman. But because I pride myself on my work. I care about doing things well. I care about being someone people can depend on.

And I want to be compensated accordingly.

So, yes. His little complaint rubbed me the wrong way.

By around 4 p.m., I texted a girlfriend to see if she wanted to go out for a drink.

It’s now 6:20 p.m., and she just called to tell me she had just left work.

“It’s okay,” I said.

Because by then, I was already in my house dress, ready to wind down for the evening.

But, boy, a drink would have been nice.

I have wine downstairs.

But I refuse to drink solo or in the house.

So here I am…at the end of a stressful day, sitting with a little uncertainty about work, a little sadness over potentially hurting someone’s feelings, a little irritation over someone questioning my professionalism, and a whole lot of desire for more control over it all.

Maybe that’s what today really was.

One of those days when I know I’m doing what I need to do for myself, but that doesn’t mean every part of it feels good.