'Karibuni' (Welcome) to a new series of 'To the Woman Who Forgot Herself'.
There's going to be five episodes.
I know this will heal a lot of women, so walk this journey with me.
The first episode, which is today, is going to be 'You Matter, Too'.
So, to the woman who forgot herself: You wake up every morning
and pour into everyone else, kids, spouse, work, family, friends.
And somewhere along the way, you disappeared.
So this one is for you.
You check on everyone.
"Did you eat?" - "Did you do your homework?" -
"Are you okay?" But listen to me.
When is the last time someone asked you?
You became mom, you became wife, and you became the strong one, the reliable one.
And those titles, honestly, are beautiful.
But they are not your whole identity.
You used to have dreams that kept you up at night.
You used to laugh louder.
You used to have a favourite song, a favourite place that was just yours.
Now you can't even remember what you like to do when no one needs you.
You know, you look in the mirror and you think, "When did I get so tired?"
It's not just lack of sleep, eh?
It's that you've been carrying everyone, and no one has been carrying you.
Listen to me.
You matter, too!
Not just when you're useful and not just when you're giving.
You matter when you're resting, when you're empty, and even
when you have nothing to give.
You're not a bad woman for feeling lost.
You're a human woman who has been selfless for too long without being refilled.
Taking care of yourself is not taking it away from them.
It's actually what allows you to keep showing up.
There's a time we said, you can't pour from an empty cup.
But when you've been trying for years, you have been pouring from an empty cup.
So today, one small thing that is just for you.
Do just one thing.
A walk alone, your favourite tea, journaling, music that
you really love, dance.
Because you're not just someone's mom, someone's wife, someone's sister,
someone's daughter, someone's friend.
You are you, and you are still there, and
it's time to come back home to yourself.