My parents were (and still are) toxic people. So when I got married, I was bitching about my spouse because that’s what I knew how to do. This went on for a while until my friend stopped me and said, “Hey, do you even like this person?”

It felt like being splashed with ice water, but he was so right. I stopped dissing my friends and my partner behind their backs and tried to stop that toxic ‘ball and chain’ sort of humor as soon as I possibly could.

Thanks, Marcos. You started a very long and necessary process of self discovery and healing. I’m so glad you said something that day.