Everyone Deserves to Eat, Not Everybody Deserves to Sit at My Table - part 5

Detail of the painting “Everyone deserves to eat, not everybody deserves to sit at my table”

I used to think kindness meant keeping the door open to everyone.

That being a good person was about saying yes, making room, and offering warmth. And I’ve done that—again and again. I’ve made room at my table. Pulled out chairs for people who didn’t plan to stay. Served more than I had to give to feel like I was being enough.

It took me years to realize that generosity without boundaries isn't generosity at all—it's self-abandonment disguised as grace.

The painting “Everyone deserves to eat, not everybody deserves to sit at my table” came from that realization. It was not a loud moment, not dramatic, just a quiet no. I decided to stop explaining my worth through how much space I could offer.

The woman in this artwork doesn’t flinch. She’s not waiting to be liked. She knows what it cost her to keep inviting people who don’t deserve to sit at her table. And yet, she is inviting you to listen to yourself and decide who is worth your time.

I think about that a lot—how connection has nothing to do with how many people we let in. It has everything to do with who we let close.

This painting is part of my Connection collection, releasing in June.

And this particular artwork is a boundary. A full stop. A breath I no longer apologize for.