Finding Strength When Life Forces You to Slow Down

There was a time in my life when everything I thought I knew about myself changed overnight.

Two and a half years ago I had a blood clot in my brain that led to a stroke — and it left me with neurological damage. It didn’t just affect my body; it affected my confidence, my identity, and my sense of safety in the world. Suddenly, things that once felt simple felt heavy. Working a “normal” job again? Uncertain. Keeping up the way I used to? Impossible.

At the same time, my marriage was falling apart. I was navigating divorce while becoming a single mom — all while trying to heal and make sense of a life that no longer looked the way I had imagined.

I became a single mom during one of the most vulnerable times of my life.

Fast forward to present day, I had an appointment with my neurologist — one of those moments that quietly confirms what your heart already knows. I was told that working a “normal” job again isn’t something I’ll be able to do in my lifetime, and doing activities and things I used to enjoy wouldn’t be the same. I really needed to slow down or my condition would worsen. Hearing that still hurts. When a decision is made for you, there’s grief in that. Even when you’ve already adapted, it stings to have certainty placed on something you once hoped might change.

But as hard as that moment was, it also made something incredibly clear to me.

Boy, am I grateful I never gave up on myself.

There were days when the weight of it all felt unbearable — learning how to heal, learning how to parent through exhaustion, learning how to move forward when life felt unfair and heavy. I questioned myself constantly. I grieved the version of life I thought I would have. There were moments I could’ve stayed down, stayed stuck in depression, stayed frozen in fear.

But I didn’t.

I kept working on myself. I kept choosing healing. I kept believing there had to be more for me — even when I couldn’t see it yet. And because of that, I was able to build a life that works for me now. One that allows me to show up for my kids, care for my health, and still find purpose and connection in what I do.

I talk about this season — the loss, the rebuilding, the quiet strength it takes to keep going — in my book, Becoming Her. Writing it was a reminder that sometimes becoming who you’re meant to be isn’t about what you lose, but what you refuse to let take you down.

That doesn’t mean life is easy.

Being a single, working mom still comes with hard days. There are moments of overwhelm, financial stress, exhaustion, and doubt. Some days feel strong and confident. Others feel messy and fragile.

And that’s real life.

But single moms are resilient. We have to be. Our littles are watching us — watching how we respond to setbacks, how we speak to ourselves, how we keep going even when it’s hard. Strength doesn’t mean never struggling. It means getting back up anyway.

I’m deeply grateful for the life I’ve created. Grateful for my children. Grateful for still being alive today. Grateful that even when life made decisions for me, I still chose not to give up on myself. And even now — with this news forcing me to slow down and work within a more limited capacity — I will rise, adapt, and keep going.

✨ You don’t have to do this alone.
If you’re a mom walking through your own hard season and looking for support, understanding, and real connection — I’d love for you to join our community. It’s a safe space for honest conversations, encouragement, and reminding each other that we’re stronger than we think.

🤍 You’re doing better than you realize.