THE DAY I BROKE DOWN AND ROSE AGAIN

You know those days when everything feels pretty overwhelming? I had one of those not too long ago. It wasn't just a little stumble; I had a full-on emotional breakdown. I didn't shout or throw things — no, it was way quieter than that. It was one of those moments where I just felt everything crashing down inside me.

There were a lot of things piled up. I was feeling all this pressure to keep showing up like everything was fine. I had responsibilities that felt heavy, and I was scared that maybe I wasn’t doing enough. So, there I was on the floor of my room, tears streaming down my face, whispering, “I’m tired” to the empty walls.

I didn’t think that meant I was weak. I realized I was just plain exhausted from being strong for way too long. In that deep, vulnerable moment, something changed inside me. Instead of pushing those feelings away, I let them wash over me without judgment. I didn’t post about it online or put on a brave face. I just let the quietness embrace me for a while.

Slowly but surely, I started to rise up again. Not because everything was magically okay, but because I remembered what truly mattered to me. I thought about my dreams and the stories I still needed to share. I thought of all the girls I wanted to lift up and the kind of mark I wanted to leave in this world. I realized that just having a breakdown didn't take away my worth.

What I learned that day was that sometimes, falling apart is a necessary step to finding your way back together. I wiped my tears, wrote down a few thoughts, put together a beaded bracelet, and smiled at my reflection—not because I was fully healed, but because I chose to rise up.

If you're reading this and feel like you're at rock bottom, remember this: it's okay to break down sometimes. Just don’t forget—you can also rise up again. And when you do, you come back wiser, softer, and braver than before.

I did, and I’m still on that journey.