05/19/2026
May is Mental Health Awareness Month 💚
I want to say something for the strong women.
Especially the Black women.
The women who have been strong their entire lives because life never gave them another option.
The women who lead.
The women who build.
The women who carry families, organizations, businesses, communities, and broken people on their backs while silently trying not to break themselves.
I know this woman well.
Because I AM HER.
People see the smile.
The leadership.
The strength.
The wisdom.
The accomplishments.
The polished version of me that shows up, performs, encourages, teaches, advocates, and keeps pushing forward.
But what many don’t see is the exhaustion behind the strength.
The sleepless nights.
The emotional weight.
The pressure of always being “the strong one.”
The constant pouring into others while your own cup runs dry.
Truthfully, many of the calls I receive are not to check on me…
They are calls asking for more of me.
More leadership.
More guidance.
More support.
More problem-solving.
More strength.
And after a while, even strong women get tired.
Sometimes the strongest people are the least checked on because the world assumes we can handle everything.
But strength does not cancel humanity.
Leadership does not remove loneliness.
And carrying it all does not mean we are okay.
So today, I want to remind someone:
Check on your strong friends.
Check on the women who always “have it together.”
Check on the leaders.
Check on the caregivers.
Check on the encouragers.
And if YOU are the strong friend…
Please hear me clearly:
Rest is not weakness.
Unplugging is not selfish.
Therapy is not shameful.
Saying “I’m tired” does not make you less powerful.
You cannot continue pouring from an empty cup.
You cannot save everyone while losing yourself.
There is only one you.
And what happens if the woman everybody depends on finally runs out of gas?
Take care of your mind.
Protect your peace.
Choose yourself too.
Because even strong women need support.
💚
— Dr. Marvetta Bozeman
