I am the one everyone leans on, and I am tired

In my family I'm "the strong one." The one who sends money home, who fixes problems, who never complains. Somewhere along the way that became a cage.

When I finally told my mother I was struggling, she said, "But you're doing so well." She meant it kindly. She just couldn't see it. In our culture, if you're providing, you must be okay.

I don't have a neat ending. I'm learning, slowly, that carrying everyone doesn't make me strong — it just makes me tired. Saying that out loud here, where nobody knows my name, is the first time I've let myself admit it.