I am thinking about support. Or to be more specific, what is true support? What does that look like and what forms does it take? An unfortunate negative experience that came about under the guise of true support got me thinking about this. The dictionary definition of support is “giving assistance to.” But if I think about true support, the definition is doing what you can and are willing and comfortable in doing within your boundaries and ability. The keyword is willing. For example, technically child support is a form of support, but if it is true support then the person who is giving also wants to do it (they do not feel it was forced upon them.)
Does this then lead to what is not true support? I would argue if there is a set amount (money, time, energy, etc) you must give to be “supporting” then that is NOT true support. If someone is rude or disrespectful to you under the guise of “supporting” you, that is also NOT true support. True support should not infringe on your boundaries.
If you are offered a variance of the fake support listed above, then you are not required to give your support. Conversely, no one owes you support. At its heart, true support is a gift given.