This morning, as I sat with my tea, I found myself thinking about how many layers I’ve worn over the years: the “good girl” layer, the “be everything for everyone” layer, the “strong and independent” layer, the “don’t be too emotional, don’t be too much” layer.
And with every season of life, another mask, another role, another expectation stacked on top: daughter, sister, mother, professional, caretaker, peacemaker, problem-solver. It’s no wonder so many of us arrive in midlife feeling heavy, disconnected, unsure of who we really are.
Because under all those layers? There’s a woman who has been waiting, and she’s not a stranger; she’s the truest part of us.
When I think back on the hardest moments of my life: grief, heartbreak, the quiet loneliness that creeps in when the house feels too still, I realise they’ve all cracked me open. They’ve chipped away at those layers, they’ve forced me to see not just the polished parts of myself, but the raw, imperfect, tender ones too.
That’s the thing about becoming the woman you are under all the layers…
P.S. I recorded this as a private Midlife Circle audio episode, for the days you need it softly spoken. Upgrade to The Midlife Circle to listen.
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