A strong woman

Think about the strongest woman you know. Think about how she always seems so capable, so calm and collected regardless of the circumstances. She always seems to know the right thing to do in any given situation, and she takes all the hardship in her life on the chin with a smile. She might seem like she’s invincible, like she’s able to handle absolutely anything without even breaking her stride. All too often, however, the strongest women are actually the ones suffering the most.They suffer because no matter how tough they might appear to be, no one is invincible. No one is able to deal with absolutely anything life throws at them without batting an eyelid. No matter how much she might seem to be unaffected by the things that happen to her, the strong woman that you know feels just the same as you would inside.In fact, she might even feel worse.Many women that others perceive to be strong and fiercely independent feel under pressure to maintain the image of composure and strength that they’ve built up. Many of these women feel like they have no one they can be vulnerable with, no one they can open up to.They’re left alone with their thoughts and feelings, bottling them up so that no one else has to deal with them. They have their backs to a dam, trying to hold back the water and stop it from bursting.The strong woman you know just might be broken inside. She might feel totally alone, unable to tell anyone about how she truly feels. She might want so badly to be the rock that other people lean on that she never allows herself to lean on others from time to time.She might appear to be unbreakable, but nobody knows what goes on in the deepest reaches of her heart. She’ll never allow anyone to get close enough for her to be exposed or vulnerable. Perhaps she’s been hurt too badly before. Perhaps the people she needed to lean on weren’t there for her when she needed them the most, so now she suffers in silence. Even when things seem bleak and she feels nothing but desperation inside, she swallows the pain and puts on a smile.Strong women are often expected to have their sh*t together by the people around them, which can lead to them trying to hide their true emotions from others. Even when they might want to scream at the top of their lungs, they’ll just nod their heads and listen instead They will do whatever it takes to be the good, strong friend that others expect them to be.The strong woman you know wants to be a good friend. She doesn’t want to express her own problems to other people, because she’s used to having others pile their problems on her instead.She might appear to be carved from stone, but inside she’s crumbling.But no matter how much she might struggle, she keeps on going. Even when she’s at rock bottom, she digs deep and scrapes up whatever energy she can to carry on pretending. She manages to keep on putting one foot in front of the other, and no one else knows just how hard it is for her. She’s hurting, but she keeps on going. She’s brave, and she should be respected.Maybe you should reach out to the strong woman you know, and let her know that you’re there if she ever needs someone to talk to. It could make all of the difference.Just remember, Yes, they are strong, but they are also human.