In this episode, I’m unpacking what it means to be the “strong friend.” The one who’s always checking in but never checked on. The one who performs strength so well, no one realizes she’s falling apart.

I share personal stories of how I learned to suppress my emotions, why I thought crying made me weak, and how I built an identity around being dependable and “fine”, even when I wasn’t. I open up about the quiet expectations that formed in childhood, how I used to “practice” being strong in unhealthy ways, and the turning point where I realized: I never wanted to be strong. I just didn’t have another option.

This episode is a love letter to every strong friend who’s tired, and a wake-up call to the people who never ask how she’s doing.

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