Everyone has a story, and most of the time it’s far from the ‘perfect’ image portrayed online. If I’m brutally honest, the last three years have been the hardest of my life. What you don’t see when I smile is that, most of the time, my heart is breaking. Six years ago, we left South Africa for the U.S. to give our kids a better chance at life. In doing so, I left behind everything that gave me meaning, purpose, and a sense of home. As much as I love everything I have in my life, what I need most is grounding, love, and belonging. Leaving South Africa meant leaving the people who mean the most to me—my family. I left my mom, dad, my brother and his beautiful family, my aunt, and my cousins. Since then, I’ve gone through a divorce, a job loss, constant financial insecurity, and this persistent feeling of being alone, completely alone in raising two kids by myself. The scariest moments are the times my bank card is declined at the grocery store, the 2am wakes up when anxiety beats me over the head because I don’t know how I’m going to pay the mortgage, or when my kids get sick and it frightens me to my core. I constantly feel scared that I can’t keep it together. Don’t get me wrong, I have amazing friends who have carried me through some really dark times. But right now, I feel raw and sad. I broke my own heart when I left what I loved most. Was it worth it? Honestly, I don’t know. So please, never forget that everyone has a story. Even if someone is smiling, their heart may be breaking. Be kind, always. Also, I’m not posting this for sympathy, and I don’t need to be rescued. I’m just posting this to say that we all have battles and demons we fight alone. Here’s to being real.💕 #LifeStory #MentalHealth #HealingJourney #SelfReflection #EmotionalWellness #Resilience #Authenticity #StayGrounded #Vulnerability #GrowthMindset #StrongerTogether #BeKind #YouAreNotAlone