The Strength It Takes to Stay

People often tell survivors they’re “strong.”
But strength isn’t always loud.
Sometimes, it looks like simply choosing to stay another day when your heart feels too heavy to carry.

I know that feeling—the one where it takes everything in you just to breathe. The kind of tired that sleep can’t fix.

After 2011, there were days I wanted to disappear completely. But something deeper whispered, “Stay.”

Not because it was easy.
But because my story wasn’t finished yet.

And that’s the truth for you, too.
You might not see the purpose in the pain yet, but that doesn’t mean it’s not there.

You’re not weak for struggling.
You’re not broken for hurting.
You’re strong because you’re still here—fighting battles no one can see, and choosing to stay even when it hurts.

💛 Staying is strength.
Your breath is proof of hope.