Unwritten Reflection: Where You Place Yourself, Others Will Follow

Maybe you gave because you forgot what you needed.
Because what you needed kept getting pushed aside—
too much, for too long.

Maybe you forgot your name
because you were always the strong one,
the reliable one,
the selfless one—
the one who always shows up.

But maybe you haven’t shown up for you in a long time.
At least not in the way that matters.

You didn’t do it for credit.
You didn’t say “you owe me one.”
You didn’t even ask to be checked on.
You just kept showing up.
Because your heart is built that way.
And maybe…
because habit built you that way, too.

So, I’m asking you now—
Are you okay?

Have you checked in with yourself lately?
Not just to get through the day—
but to ask:
Am I where I want to be?
Am I whole?
Am I happy?
Do I know I deserve to be?

You don’t have to stop saying yes.
But you also can’t keep saying no to yourself.

Because you can’t expect someone to place you
where you won’t even place yourself.

There is value in you.
Real value.
So be careful when you count the cost.
You were never meant to be what’s spent.

—Angela

the voice beneath Daughter, Unwritten.