Be Gentle

Please be gentle with me.

Please be gentle, because I am not myself anymore. Please be gentle, because I am trying to handle all of this. Don't ask me to act like the version of myself we both used to know. I went through death and rebirth. The old me is gone. And I don't know who I am anymore. Like a warrior who just survived a battle, I stand here, a thousand wounds and no armor. One day, I don't know when, these wounds will be scars, the pain will be memory, and I am going to be stronger than I have ever been before.

But until then, until the healing is complete, I am gonna be weaker than we both know me to be. So please let me be weak, and please, just be gentle with me.

From a new mom to everyone she is encountering. Partners, family members, friends, and complete strangers.

Don' expect new moms to be themselves. Don't expect them to be ok. They are fighting non-stop. They are having their lives turned upside-down. They are probably facing moments of deep joy. But also moments of loss and fear. Be gentle. That's all.

Thank you.