Dear, beautiful brave souls.
I like to take this moment and applaud you all for your courage and strength. I am one of you. Or at least I think I am.
I am someone who is always relentlessly going through life, taking every chance that is given to me. I am someone who is not afraid of taking risks to fulfill my lifelong passions and desires.
I am someone who believes that failures don’t define a person. I failed many times. I’ve had my heart broken and my dreams shattered many times, and I always managed to get back on my feet and not let the pain change me.
That’s why for my friends and family I’ve always been the strong one…
But, from time to time, I am feeling extremely vulnerable and fragile. But I don’t show it to anyone. I always manage to present the strong and brave version of me. The soft me only presents herself when I am alone behind closed doors.
Because I feel I am not allowed to be weak. I can’t count the number of times I’ve been struggling, and my parents and friends all told me, “You’ll get out of it, I don’t worry about you. You’ve always taken great care of yourself.”
And while a part of me is always flattered to hear those words, there is a part of me that wishes to be taken care of.
Because being strong all the time can be exhausting.
Sometimes I wish to let it all out. I want to scream, and cry, and don’t feel pressured to immediately pick the pieces of me. Sometimes I want to lie on the bathroom floor the whole night. Sometimes I want to rip my heart open and feel all the pain without anyone judging me as emotionally weak.
Because sometimes it is necessary to fall apart in order to make yourself whole again.
That’s why, my strong people, I understand how hard it is to have to hold it all together, to be strong and successful at work, to be strong for your children, for your family, and for yourselves.
I want to tell you that it’s okay to fall apart. That it’s okay to cry. That it’s okay to ask for help. It’s okay to be human.
Give yourself a break and grieve all the loses you’ve had. Sometimes, giving yourself permission to cry it all out and feel the anger and pain can feel so good and healing. That alone will give you strength to move forward.
Because sometimes being strong and courageous means being true to yourself.
