'Some days I feel confident and capable. Other days, I’m just getting through.'

From West Mercia Women's Aid

Some days I feel confident and capable. Other days, I’m just getting through.

There are moments when everything feels heavy at once: responsibilities, expectations, the quiet pressure to keep going even when I’m tired. I’ve learned that strength doesn’t always look like pushing harder. Sometimes it looks like pausing, asking for help, or admitting that something hurts.

I didn’t always believe that. For a long time, I thought I had to manage everything on my own. I thought needing support meant I was failing. But over time, and often through difficult experiences, I realised that connection is what keeps me grounded. Being listened to, believed, and understood can change how a situation feels, even if it doesn’t immediately change the situation itself.

What has stayed with me is the power of small moments: a conversation that made me feel seen, someone checking in when they didn’t have to, a reminder that I wasn’t alone. Those moments mattered more than big gestures.

I’m still learning. I still have days where I doubt myself. But I now know that resilience isn’t about being unaffected by challenges, it’s about continuing, imperfectly, and allowing space for compassion, for myself and others.

That’s what I hold on to, progress, not perfection.