I lost my father when I was young.

And with that loss, I didn’t just lose a parent—I lost my center.

Without a strong anchor, I drifted.

I struggled to find my identity. I couldn’t hold boundaries.

I made choices I wasn't proud of—then buried them under shame and silence.

But through it all, my mom was my constant.

She was the one who held space for me, even when I couldn’t hold it for myself.

Her quiet strength and unwavering love became the foundation I didn’t know I needed.

Still, I judged myself harshly.

I covered my mistakes.

I kept pretending everything was okay.

Until my body told the truth I was too afraid to speak.

I developed throat cancer—

a physical manifestation of the pain I never voiced.

That diagnosis cracked me open.

It forced me to face the years of suppression, shame, and survival.

It became the turning point that brought me back to my truth—and to the lessons my mom had quietly taught me all along: resilience, grace, and the power of unconditional love.