Dear Me,
You have been an unyielding fortress, indestructible, unmoving and withstanding every storm with silent resilience. You are the oak tree standing firm while winds howled around it, the mountain that withstood time’s erosion, the river that carved its path through stones unrepentant. But even sturdy trees require deep roots to hold on tight; tall mountains rest upon the earth, and fierce rivers ultimately end their journey into the sea.
You have been too strong for too long.
Invisible Strength That No One Notices
One woman, in particular, carried the weight of the world on her shoulders. She held her family together when grief struck, smiled through an endless list of responsibilities, and told herself, “I’m fine” when her soul felt broken apart.
She was like the moon, lighting the darkness for others while concealing her imperfections from view.
At one point during her search for answers to this question, she stood under a starlit sky and gazed upon its expanse, asking herself who held up the moon when it became fatigued.
No one responded; nobody had even considered inquiring.
Nature Teaches Us All to Rely on Others.
Have you ever witnessed a vine clinging to a tree? Instead, its presence does not weaken it but helps both trees flourish, one providing stability while the other adds beauty. And yet, neither tree complains about supporting another organism; instead, it simply includes shelter.
Why, then, are you feeling guilty for wanting what they want?
As someone who has provided shelter to so many, now stands alone, wondering whether it is too late to ask for arms that will hold without question and for a companion who won’t demand proof of your strength.
Doing what you want does not make you a failure.
The Myth of a “Strong Woman”
Society reveres women who remain strong. Society calls such individuals ‘resilient, independent and unshakable”, but no one ever inquires into whether or not they feel lonely and never asks whether or not they experience tears when no one else is looking.
One woman took great pride in never needing anyone; her walls were so strong that even sunlight struggled to reach them. One evening, however, she found herself sitting on her kitchen floor weeping over cold tea that had gone cold, not due to any great tragedy, just because she realised that she had forgotten what it felt like to be held by another person.
The absence of vulnerability does not define strength; true strength comes from having the courage to express what needs to be said.
“I don’t want to be alone anymore.”
“Pleasant, Safe Haven Needs Are Needed Now”
Even the fiercest storms eventually subside; even the ocean, after lashing against its shores and lashing your soul against, calms to produce gentle waves and allows you to rest.
Your desire for love that feels like home is understandable – someone to hold onto when the world becomes burdensome, someone who says, “Let me carry this for a bit”.
There is a key distinction between needing someone and choosing them: needing comes from feeling empty; choosing comes from knowing you deserve companionship.
You deserve to be someone’s morning after their most difficult night. And you deserve to be their source of peace.
Courage To Let Someone In
You have become so used to being strong that you have forgotten how to be soft. Softness doesn’t indicate weakness, rather, it signifies the quiet courage it takes to let someone see parts of yourself that still need healing.
Consider the lotus flower: its roots take root in mud, yet it yields to its weighty burden of water without resisting. Instead, it succumbs to it all, giving itself over to what could drown it and blooming beautifully as a result of this surrender.
Love can help heal these scars; maybe the right partner won’t see them as flaws but as evidence of how far you have come in your life journey.
Here Is Your Permission Slip
You are allowed to: Lean. Even if you’ve spent your life standing tall.
You are free to:
Mes WANT. Even if you think it would be best.
No longer must you remain the unbreakable one forever.
One day, someone will come along who won’t come to fix you or save you but to offer support and say:
“Don’t try to be strong around me; just… be.”
On that day, you will realise that your greatest strength lies not in carrying all the burden yourself but in finding someone trustworthy who can share in the burden.
With love, lasting, You Who Is Learning to Relax
Concluding Reflections: The Power of Shared Strength
Strong trees tend to flourish in forests where their roots interweave beneath the soil, holding each other steady. Meanwhile, resilient birds fly in flocks so that no one becomes fatigued while leading.
Your body was never meant to be unbreakable. Your destiny was to be loved.
And love is on its way.
As for now, dear one, rest. No harm will come from taking a breather now and then.
You have held it together long enough.