Showing Up, Even When You Can’t Fix It All

When you advocate for the very things that once broke you, you carry both a calling and a weight. You speak for healing and justice. You work for change in systems that you know, deep down, are far from perfect.

Working face-to-face with people who are struggling is both beautiful and brutal. There are moments that stop you in your tracks—moments that remind you that no matter how much you care, you cannot save everyone.

Being in a new residential setting brings that reality even closer. I see patterns I have seen before, and I know where they can lead. The ache in my chest is a mix of empathy, grief, and frustration at a system that is sometimes more harmful than helpful.

As humans, we long for connection. We want to see the people we care about thrive. Many of us are naturally empathetic, but for me, it goes even deeper, having traits of an empath, and navigating that in emotionally demanding work is something I am still learning to do. Add in the challenges of everyday life, and burnout can creep in quickly.

If I am honest, I have already felt it after only a month back. But I am holding on. I am working on ways to rebuild my resilience. I am making a plan to keep showing up in the work I love without losing myself in the process.

Because here is what I know: I may not be able to fix it all.
I cannot save everyone.
But I can show up. I can be present. I can sit beside someone in the dark and offer whatever light I have.

And sometimes, that is what matters most.