At forty years old, I began to unravel.
I no longer knew who I was.
I was lost in a twenty-year marriage that was crumbling. Lost in the endless responsibilities of motherhood. Lost in the emotional labor that consumed every ounce of my energy. I carried the invisible burden of managing a household, parenting my children, and often parenting my husband as well.
I scheduled every appointment. Packed every lunch. Signed every permission slip. Remembered every detail.
Meanwhile, I was abandoning myself more and more each day.”