The Women Who Carried Me: Strength, Support & Gratitude

People often tell me I’m strong. But after sharing my last chapter, someone very important reminded me of something.

My story isn’t just about me. It’s also about the people who helped me through it.

When I became a single mum, life felt incredibly hard. Yes, I struggled. Yes, there were days when I wondered how I was going to get through.

The People Behind My Story

My mum was there.

She had always believed in the power of education and encouraged me to believe that I could create a different life for myself.

My sisters were there too. They’ve laughed with me, cried with me and supported me through some of life’s hardest chapters.

My Aunty Bev has always been there for me too.

And then there are my friends. The ones who listened. The ones who made me laugh when I needed it. The ones who picked me up when I was struggling.

The ones who reminded me who I was when I’d temporarily forgotten.

They were there in the ordinary, practical ways that sometimes mean the most.

A lift, a meal, a hug. Someone looking after the children. A phone call. A few words of encouragement at exactly the right time.

None of those things necessarily look significant from the outside.

But when you’re struggling, they can mean everything.

We Don’t Always Tell the Whole Story

When we tell our life stories, we often tell them from our own perspective.

We talk about what we went through. What we overcame. What we achieved.

But behind so many of our stories are people who quietly helped us get there.

People who believed in us when we couldn’t believe in ourselves.

People who carried some of the weight when life became too heavy.

People who didn’t need recognition. They were just there.

Looking back, I realise one of the greatest gifts in my life hasn’t been being strong enough to do everything myself.

It’s been having people who were strong when I needed them.

We All Need People

There’s a lot of talk about independence and being strong.

But needing people isn’t weakness. Accepting help isn’t weakness. Having people to lean on doesn’t take away from your strength.

Sometimes our strength is knowing that we don’t have to carry everything alone.

I’m incredibly grateful for the women who have carried me through different chapters of my life.

And I hope I’ve been able to do the same for them.

Because none of us really gets through life alone.

We all need people. And I will always be grateful for mine. 💜

Who has helped carry you through one of life’s hardest chapters?