Strong People Need Support Too

Just because you're smiling doesn't mean you're not struggling

“You are so strong.”

A lonely weight of responsibility comes whenever I hear those words.

We live in a world where strength is often equated with maintaining a flawless facade and shouldering burdens silently. 

Society teaches us to suppress our emotions, brush off our falls, and bear our struggles in silence. We are praised for our toughness and encouraged to keep going even when we are on the brink of burnout.

We are praised for our toughness and encouraged to keep going even when we are on the brink of burnout.

Yet when we pick up the strength, we are often overlooked, ignored, or not even thought of because most times folks believe “they’re good, they got it.”

I once gave into the definition of strength that others placed on me.

The pressure to please, excel, and never show weakness kept me captive in a cycle of isolation and unspoken turmoil.

But in this season, as I acknowledge being the strong one, the leader paving the way for healing, I am no longer disregarding my needs for the support I deserve.

As I continue choosing The Narrow Path, I am putting down the burden of doing things alone while acknowledging the humanity in me.

I can be the strong sibling, the strong friend, the strong parent,
the one choosing to break generational trauma,
But that doesn’t mean I don’t need help.