24/03/2026
I held it together.
I said the right things.
I carried on like I was “coping.”
Because that’s who I’d always been… the strong one.
The one who doesn’t fall apart.
The one who handles things.
But what no one saw… was everything I was holding in.
The thoughts I couldn’t switch off.
The waves of sadness I pushed down.
The fear I didn’t want to admit was there.
So I told myself,
“Just keep going”
“Don’t let this break you”
“You should be able to handle this”
But the more I tried to stay strong… the heavier it all felt.
Because strength, the way I was doing it, was just suppression.
And suppression doesn’t heal anything. It just keeps it all stuck inside.
What I didn’t realise at the time… was that real strength wasn’t about holding it all together.
It was about allowing myself to feel it.
To stop pushing it away.
To stop doing it all alone.
That’s what started to create safety again.
That’s what made things feel lighter.
And that’s what changed how moving forward felt… not forced, not overwhelming… but something I could actually face.
If you relate to this, I’d love to know in the comments 💛