A Time I Had to Be Stronger Than I Felt

There are moments in life where strength isn’t optional.

You don’t feel ready.

You don’t feel capable.

You don’t feel steady.

But you do it anyway — because you have to.

I didn’t rise to the occasion because I was brave. I rose because stopping wasn’t an option. Because people depended on me. Because life didn’t pause to ask if I was okay.

Strength didn’t feel empowering in that moment. It felt heavy. Lonely. Necessary.

And that kind of strength changes you. It hardens some edges. Softens others. It teaches you that you are capable of more than you think — even when you’re breaking.

Tomorrow’s prompt: What rest means to me now.