ES HOY - IT’S TIME TO TELL OUR STORY
The Beginning of My Story – I Grew Up Fast, But I’m Healing Slow
I didn’t always feel safe sharing my story.
For most of my life, I carried it in silence—tucked behind a strong face, hidden in the roles I had to play before I was even ready.
But stories don’t go away. They live in our bodies. They show up in how we love, how we fight, how we forgive, how we shrink… how we rise.
And mine?
It started as a little girl in a big world, translating for my mother at doctor’s offices and food stamp centers before I was 10.
I was a child, but I had responsibilities that taught me how to survive in a world that didn’t speak my language—or hers.
That little girl became the woman who gave too much.
Who stayed silent when she should’ve screamed.
Who wanted so badly to be enough—for everyone.
But somewhere along the way, I woke up.
✨ I woke up in the middle of raising my sister and nephew while barely knowing how to raise myself.
✨ I woke up while watching the women I love—my mother, my grandmother—over give and overextend and never feel seen.
✨ I woke up when I realized love is not supposed to hurt or leave you guessing.
I had been surviving for so long, I didn’t know what it meant to truly live.
But I’m learning now.
I moved to Florida and rebuilt everything from scratch. I created a home that felt safe—for me, my husband, my dog, and even the child I didn’t birth but helped raise. I’m learning to mother myself. To soften. To stop shrinking.
And maybe the most powerful thing I’ve learned is this:
You cannot heal for anyone else.
But you can be the light that shows them what’s possible.
I’ve cried countless tears over people I couldn’t save—family members I love deeply but can’t drag out of their pain.
I’ve broken under the weight of being the strong one, the responsible one, the fixer.
But the truth is… healing didn’t begin when I saved anyone else.
Healing began the moment I finally chose me.
And that choice?
It’s what changed everything.
🌀 This Week’s Reflection Prompt:
What’s one part of your story that shaped you—but you’ve never given yourself the chance to share it out loud?
Write it. Whisper it. Scream it. But most of all… honor it.
Because your story matters.
You matter.
And Es HOY—it’s time to tell it.
💬 I want to hear from you.
What part of this spoke to your soul?
What’s a piece of your story that deserves to be seen, held, and heard?
Reply to this email, or leave a comment. Let’s create a ripple of truth and healing—together. 💌
With Love & Light,
Atania V.