Even The Strong Ones Get Tired, Sometimes

I have always been strong, and it is one thing I pride myself on. I can take a lot of things that most people will typically not be able to handle. When people say they can work under pressure, I am a living example of it. I once said my greatest strengths were my sheer determination and resilience.

Being strong is something I have had to become because that was the only way to survive. My friends and family know that I am strong. It is the one thing they always say about me. They say I can handle anything. Perhaps that is why they do not hesitate to dump their own problems on me. I do not complain, though. I am content with listening to them and offering them a solution, but I never feel like I should share because I am the strong one. Being strong is all i have ever known, and that is what they know me for. What they never realized is that no matter how strong I was, I was still human. I had my breaking points. I had my saturation level, and it was bad. No one ever thought to check up on me. They never call to see how I am doing. They only call when they need a solution from me, and that is all. I have been so strong for a long time that when it hit me, I didn’t know how to handle it. Even in my pain, those around me kept coming to me to get help. They never noticed that I was hurting and in pain. They didn’t notice that the light had gone out of my eyes. They never saw me; all they saw was a solution to their problem. No one notices when the strong one is tired of being tired. Those around us are usually the last to see it. Even when the signs are glaring, they still do not notice it. They are quick to run to us for help, and after that, it is bye, till the next time they need something. Perhaps, it is because strong people are always there for them. Maybe it is because we do not burden them with our problems and so they do not really see us. We are just solution providers. They do not believe we have problems or that we also can struggle, and so when I struggled, they were oblivious to it. I had months where I was not myself. I was going through a lot and needed someone, anyone to ask me what was wrong. Nobody did, nobody took note. I had to be there for myself, and they still wanted me to be there for them. Here is the truth: even the strong ones get hurt, they get broken and need help sometimes. They have problems, and they struggle. We need to pay attention to those we perceive as strong around us; we need to check up on them and ask how they are doing. They need it too.