Who Holds You When You Hold Everyone Else?

The Final Chapter in the Safe to Love Series

Her name was Simone.

She was 33, the kind of woman who always remembered your birthday, showed up with snacks for the group chat link-up, and kept bobby pins in her bag just in case someone’s curls needed saving. Her phone was always on 1% — not because she forgot her charger, but because she was constantly pouring into other people’s lives. Friend. Mentor. Daughter. Caregiver. Encourager. The titles stacked up like unread text messages.

Simone had what she called her “I got it” list. Groceries for her mom. A quick resume edit for her cousin. A favor for her coworker. Babysitting for her neighbor. Emotional support for everyone else. Her days were full, but her soul? Quietly emptying. One morning, she woke up, stared at the ceiling, and realized something strange — she couldn’t remember the last time she’d done something just for her. Her list was blank. Not because there wasn’t more to do. But because she couldn’t feel what she needed anymore.

That morning, instead of spiraling, she said yes to brunch with her old college friend, Jade. Jade — the girl who used to wear mismatched socks and overshare in group projects — was now married, thriving, and knee-deep in therapy and healing. Over mimosas and grits, Simone tried to hold it together, but something cracked. “I don’t think I’m okay,” she whispered. Jade didn’t blink. She just reached across the table, squeezed her hand, and said, “Finally.”

At first, Simone flinched — not because of Jade’s reaction, but because of the voice in her head. That all-too-familiar voice that whispered, Needing help makes you weak. You’re supposed to have it all together. If you stop holding everyone, everything will fall apart. She’d listened to that voice for years, thinking it kept her safe. But sitting across from someone who wasn’t judging her softness, she realized: that voice had only kept her stuck.

With Jade’s help, Simone began rebuilding her life — this time, with room for herself. Weekly check-ins. Boundaries she actually kept. A support circle that didn’t make her feel guilty for needing. And the most unexpected part? Nobody crumbled. The people who truly cared didn’t flinch when she said no. And the ones who did? Maybe they were never really in her corner to begin with.

Months later, Simone got a late-night text from a friend in crisis. The kind of message she used to drop everything for. Old Simone would’ve canceled her evening, skipped dinner, showed up with tissues and a fully charged phone. But this time, she paused. She replied: “I love you, but I can’t hold this alone. Can we share it?”

And just like that, the strong friend — the one who always held everyone else — was learning to let herself be held, too.

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💛 A Note for You

If you’ve ever felt like Simone — always showing up, always holding space, always being “okay” for everyone else — I want you to know this: You deserve softness, too. You deserve friendships that hold you. Boundaries that protect you. Love that doesn’t drain you.

Because being strong doesn’t mean carrying it all alone. It means knowing when it’s time to put it down and let someone carry you.