Some days I wake up and wonder why I keep doing this.

Why I keep showing up, clocking in, putting on a calm face while my insides feel heavy. Why I push through the exhaustion, the pressure, the long hours, the expectations that never seem to stop growing.

There are moments quiet ones , when I sit in my car before a shift or pause in the middle of a task, and I just feel it all: the weight, the burnout, the unspoken frustration.
And I think… hot damn this is too much.

But what do I do I stay.

Not because it’s easy. Not because I’ve convinced myself this is where I want to be forever.

I stay because I care.
Because I know my work matters even when it’s not acknowledged the way it should be.

I stay because the people I support deserve someone who shows up with heart.
Because I know that the version of me who feels tired is also the version of me who’s incredibly strong.
And even when I feel unseen, I know my presence makes a difference quietly, consistently, powerfully.

And maybe most importantly?
I stay because of them
The few coworkers who get it.
The ones who make the day lighter just by being there.
The ones who share the same look across the room when everything’s going sideways.
The ones who check in, who share their snacks, their humor, their heart.
The ones who remind you that even in hard places, there’s still connection. Still joy. Still realness.

Because sometimes, it’s not just about the job.
It’s about the people you survive it with.

I also stay because I’m learning.
About my people. About the many systems. And more so About myself.
And some of the biggest lessons come from being put in an uncomfortable places and still choosing to rise with integrity.

Still, let’s be honest: staying doesn’t mean I’m settling.
It doesn’t mean I don’t dream of more for myself  ,more peace, more alignment, more rest.
It just means that for right now, I’m choosing to hold on while also slowly building something better for myself.
A way out. A way up. A way back to me.

So if you’re reading this and you feel it too the overwhelm, the frustration, the constant questioning just know you’re not alone.
You’re not weak for feeling tired.
You’re human for wondering.

And maybe, just maybe, you’re stronger than you know for staying.
For showing up. For choosing grace, even when the job doesn’t always give it back to you.

And if you’re lucky enough to have a few solid coworkers in the mix?
Hold them close. They’re part of the reason you haven’t walked away from it all.

You can want more and still honor where you are right now.
Both things can be true. So if you’re here, tired but still trying, questioning but still showing up just know you’re not alone.

My presence is powerful. My heart is seen by some . And staying doesn’t mean I’m settling ,it means honoring the season I’m in , while quietly preparing for the one that’s coming.

So I must Keep going.Softly. Boldly.
And In my own time I’ll see what is behind the door
that once felt like it would never open.