You Are Seen, You Are Heard, You Are Loved

One seemingly small moment can lead to crisis. A single comment, a feeling of isolation, or the weight of unspoken struggles can push someone into a breaking point. Over this past weekend, I was reminded of something incredibly powerful—there is a small circle of people who stand in the storm with you. I would not be here today without them. And when I say that, I mean it in the most literal sense.

The ones who stay. The ones who check in. The ones who simply sit beside you in silence when there are no words to fix the pain. Being in someone’s circle isn’t always easy, but it is one of the most important roles a person can have. Loving others is hard. Loving yourself is even harder.

I recently heard the phrase, “the child you didn’t need to worry about,” and it hit me deeper than I expected. If you’ve ever been that person—the one who seems okay, who holds everything together, who is always there for others—it can feel like you have no right to struggle. That if you do struggle, you must carry it alone. That speaking up would somehow burden those around you.

Let me say this plainly: You are not a burden.

This is your permission (not that you need it from me, but I’m giving it anyway) to take up space. To allow others to be there for you just as you have been there for them. Keeping it all together while your world is shattering is not something to be proud of—it only isolates you further. You don’t have to be the strong one all the time. Strength is also found in letting others in.

I’ll be honest—there are times I wonder what would happen if I disappeared for a while. Who would notice? How long would it take? The truth is, I may not have physically disappeared, but for a long time, I lost who I was. And I’m just now trying to find my way back. Part of that journey means learning to help myself—and that looks like allowing others in. It looks like not always being the first one to reach out. It looks like letting go of relationships that no longer serve me.

This journey isn’t easy, and if you’re on this path too, I want you to know: You are not alone. I am walking this with you.

You are seen. You are heard. You are loved. And you deserve to believe that.