Exploring Limits and Redefining Connections

It’s been a month since I stopped breastfeeding my daughter. It was a goodbye that came unexpectedly early, when she was one year and eight months old. The original plan was for this intimate and profound chapter of our relationship to end when she turned two. However, life took us on a different path, dictated by the need to face tests and strong medications. I remember her crying, and that hurt me deeply. Saying no felt like a tumult of emotions, an internal struggle that threw my heart to the ground.

We were ending a journey that was about more than just feeding. Breastfeeding was a moment of deep intimacy, an exchange of love and complicity that connected us in a unique way. But the absence of that physical bond did not mean that those bonds would be broken. Our connection, our bond, our feelings would not be left untouched. However, we would have to explore our dynamics in new ways, find different ways to nurture our relationship.

This process led me to reflect on the boundaries we place in our relationships – with our children, partners, work, friends and the world around us. Setting boundaries is essential to ensuring that these relationships remain healthy and balanced. However, it is natural for fear to creep in, making us worry that these boundaries could break the bond we value so much.

And so, many times, we remain within the boundaries we know, for fear of expanding and taking risks. We accept the limitations we have, even when we know we deserve something broader, more rewarding. The feeling of rupture, of moving away from what we know, can be painful. Just like it hurt when my daughter cried without understanding why we had said goodbye to breastfeeding.

However, allowing yourself to break out of patterns that no longer serve you is an act of courage. It is recognizing that in order to grow, evolve, and flourish, we need to take steps beyond known boundaries. This break may bring with it temporary pain, the occasional desire to turn back, but it also brings the promise of a future full of opportunities.

It’s the journey of learning to live healthily and authentically—both with others and with ourselves. While the tears from saying goodbye to breastfeeding are still fresh, I know we are making room for a love that will continue to grow, transform, and blossom in unique and beautiful ways. And in doing so, we are reminded that the act of setting boundaries can actually free us to explore broader horizons where our relationships, our connection, and our love can expand and shine.