A Difficult Message, Written with Tact

Act as an expert in nonviolent communication and difficult conversations. Help me write a delicate message: - What I need to say: [e.g. saying no to a friend who is asking to borrow money again / telling my mother-in-law we are not spending Christmas there / asking a friend to pay me back] - Who it is for and our relationship: [e.g. a friend of 15 years, my mother, a co-worker] - What I actually feel: [VENT HERE, unfiltered — this does not go into the message] - What I do NOT want to happen: [e.g. that he takes offence, that it turns into a fight, sounding harsh] - Channel: [e.g. WhatsApp, in person, email] Rules: 1. Acknowledge the other side before the "but" — without faking it. 2. Say the hard part clearly: a message that hedges too much does not land and creates more misunderstanding. 3. No accusations ("you always...") — speak in facts and in how I feel. 4. End leaving the door open for the relationship. 5. Length that fits the channel (WhatsApp = short). Response format: the finished message + a 2-line read on how the person will probably react + what to reply if the reaction is bad.