The Woman I Became When I Stopped Holding It Together

Trigger Warning: This article contains content about suicideThere’s a fear that no one really talks about. Not to illness, heartbreak or grief, but to the deep, silent unraveling that happens when life as you know it begins to fall apart… bit by bit.For me, that unraveling came wrapped in pain.For most of my life, I used strength as armour. The kind of strength that keeps you going when you're tired, smiling when you're about to break, and saying "I'm fine" when you're not. I thought that being brave meant holding everything together; the tighter I held on, the safer I would be. But the truth is, I didn't realize how much I was losing myself while trying to hold everything together. I got out of bed every morning, even though my whole body hurt because that's what "strong" women do. I got my girls ready for school, smiled, and then sat down at my desk for work. During the day, I was always racing against the clock, and at night, I was working on my healing business. All while trying to be the loving wife and mother I wanted to be.My body told me to rest, but I didn't listen. Doctors told me...