There comes a moment in healing when you realize something uncomfortable but freeing: you weren’t “too sensitive,” “too emotional,” or “bad at coping.” You were surviving — and you survived for a very long time. When a child grows up in chaos, inconsistency, emotional neglect, or fear, survival mode isn’t a choice. It’s a necessity. The nervous system learns to stay alert, scan for danger, and prepare for the next problem before it arrives. That adaptation can save a child. B

There comes a moment when survival ends — not because life is suddenly easy, but because clarity finally arrives. This is where I’m at now. Right now, I’m in a place of clarity I didn’t always have the energy or safety to reach. I’m not angry the way I used to be. I’m not scrambling to explain myself. I’m not questioning what I already know in my body. I’m quieter — not because I have less to say, but because I no longer feel the need to convince anyone of my truth. I’ve spen