You don't have to be strong here ❤️

So many people arrive carrying the same quiet belief:   I have to be strong.

Strong for my family. Strong for my children. Strong so I don’t make other people uncomfortable. Strength becomes something you wear like armour – heavy, exhausting, and rarely chosen. This space is here to gently say something different.

You’ve Been Strong for a Long Time

If you’re grieving, struggling, or simply worn down by life, chances are you’ve already been strong in ways no one sees. You’ve got up when you didn’t want to. You’ve answered questions you didn’t have the energy for. You’ve held yourself together in public and fallen apart in private.

That is strength. But it’s also tiring.

Strength Isn’t the Same as Silence

Somewhere along the way, many of us learned that being strong means:

• Not crying

• Not asking for help

• Not talking about the hard things

• Coping quietly

But silence isn’t strength. Silence can be survival. And survival, while necessary, isn’t the same as being supported. Here, you don’t have to minimise your pain or tidy up your feelings to be accepted.

What If Strength Looked Different?

What if strength could look like:

• Saying “I’m not okay”

• Letting yourself be seen as you are

• Setting boundaries without explanation

• Resting without guilt

As a Bereavement Volunteer, Certified Coach, and Action for Happiness Facilitator, I see this again and again: healing often begins when people stop trying to be strong and start allowing themselves to be human.

This Is a Safe Place to Exhale

You don’t have to perform here. You don’t have to have the right words. You don’t have to know what comes next. You can come exactly as you are – tired, confused, angry, numb, hopeful, or all of it at once. There is space for your whole experience.

If You’re Carrying Too Much

If you’re reading this and feeling a tightness in your chest or a lump in your throat, that’s not weakness. That’s your body asking for kindness. It’s okay to let some of the weight down. It’s okay to lean. It’s okay to need support. You don’t have to earn care by being strong.

A Gentle Reminder

You are allowed to rest. You are allowed to grieve in your own way. You are allowed to take up space with your feelings. And here – whether through words, support, or quiet reflection – you don’t have to be strong.

You already matter.

Sharon Makin - Makin' You Matter  ❤️

If this resonates, you’re welcome to stay awhile, explore the blog, or reach out for support. You don’t have to carry everything alone. 💛