Have you ever smiled through church service while your heart was breaking? Kept your emotions bottled up until you could find a private moment to cry? That was my reality for years.
Behind the facade of a perfect life – loving children, supportive husband, active church involvement – I was drowning in unexpressed emotions with nowhere safe to release them. I'd cry alone in my car, compose myself to appear "together" in public, then break down again in solitude. The emotional suppression was suffocating me from within.
My journey toward emotional authenticity wasn't easy. Years of having my feelings dismissed with phrases like "you'll be fine" or "dry your tears" had created deep trust issues. When people used my vulnerabilities against me, I built higher walls. I questioned if I was being hormonal, failing at being a "good Christian woman," or simply broken. The truth was simpler: I wasn't allowing myself to acknowledge or express genuine feelings.
The transformation began when I realized I didn't have to sacrifice my emotional wellbeing for others' comfort. Through personal development and what I call "the journey back to me," I discovered that my feelings were valid. Expressing them didn't make me less faithful or loving – it made me whole.
This path cost me some relationships. People who preferred the self-sacrificing version of me couldn't handle my boundaries and honest expression. But what I gained was immeasurable: deeper connections with those who stayed, a stronger sense of self, and a life that finally felt authentically mine.
Your feelings are valid. You are worthy. Embracing your emotional truth isn't selfish – it's essential for living the life you were created for. Are you ready to stop hiding?
