Guilt Doesn't Help

The Moment I Realized Guilt Wasn’t Proof I Loved Well

I used to think the hardest part would be deciding to walk away.
But the real weight came after, the guilt that followed me everywhere.

It sounded like a quiet whisper in the back of my mind:

You didn’t try hard enough.
You should’ve stayed to keep the family together.
Choosing yourself was never supposed to be an option, especially as a mom.

For weeks, honestly, months and still even now, I have moments where guilt creeps in. I carried those thoughts like proof that I had failed. I told myself that guilt meant I was still loving well, that it proved I was a good mother, a loyal woman who did everything she could.

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