Lately, life has been pulling emotions out of me that I’ve clearly been boxing away for years.
A couple of weeks ago, I watched my eldest graduate from college Magna Cum Laude. Now I’m sitting back listening to her navigate job offers, career conversations, and adulthood, wondering when time moved this fast?
At the same time, my youngest, my baby, 3 of 3, is preparing to graduate high school and leave home for college. And while walking through Washington, D.C., with my middle daughter on Wednesday, I realized her graduation isn’t far away either, and her future career may eventually take her around the world.
As moms, we spend years raising our children to fly, but nobody really talks enough about what it feels like emotionally when they actually start leaving the nest.
Then there’s the other layer most people don’t see.
After my stroke in 2021, something shifted emotionally in me. The part of my brain affected impacts emotional regulation, and if I’m being completely honest, rage became something I struggled with afterward. Real rage. Heavy emotions. Overwhelm. Boxing things away instead of fully dealing with them.
And while I’m being personal with you, my husband has asked me something numerous times over the years:
“When was the last time you were REALLY happy?”
Yeah. That question stayed with me.
Then my middle daughter said something else that stopped me in my tracks:
“Mom, you box away your emotions.”
And honestly? She was right.
Somewhere along the way, surviving became easier than fully feeling.
That conversation happened after we came across a painted box in D.C. that simply read:
“Don’t Box It Away.”
If you’ve been supporting Mamas and Coffee and Stroke Talks through the real conversations, livestreams, blogs, virtual Sip & Yaps, and vulnerable moments like this… thank you. Truly.
Your support helps me continue creating spaces where we can talk honestly about motherhood, life transitions, stroke recovery, emotions, identity shifts, and all the messy in-between moments we usually hide.
And while you’re here… what are you boxing away?