The Straw That Broke Me (and Healed Me Too)

Do you feel that?
That’s the weight of the world—pressed on your shoulders, sitting on your chest, tucked in your jaw. Most of us are carrying things we never asked for… and can’t seem to put down.

When I watched Straw, Tyler Perry’s latest film, something in me ached. Not because it was unfamiliar, but because it was too familiar. The story follows a woman doing what so many of us do: holding it all together. Smiling while cracking. Functioning while fatigued. Showing up while silently falling apart.

It hit me.

We all have a “straw.”
The final argument.
The overlooked birthday.
The unpaid debt of emotional labor.
The moment someone says, “You’re so strong,” and you want to scream: “I’m tired.”

The Cost of Holding It In

At Inside Out, I talk a lot about what happens when we keep stuffing it down. When we suppress, perform, and survive instead of feeling, processing, and healing. That pressure builds and sooner or later, something gives.

Maybe you lash out.
Maybe you shut down.
Maybe you disappear into your own life, showing up but no longer living in it.

Just like Janiyah, in Straw, we reach a point where even the smallest thing can snap us in half—not because we’re weak, but because we’ve carried too much, for too long, alone.

But Here’s What I’m Learning…

Breaking down doesn’t mean you’re broken.
Letting go doesn’t mean you’re a failure.
Choosing you—finally, fearfully, faithfully—might be the most powerful act of healing you ever offer yourself.

Straw reminded me of this:
You don’t need a major life catastrophe to justify your unraveling. Sometimes, all it takes is honesty.
Sometimes, healing begins with admitting: “I’m not okay. And I don’t want to pretend anymore.”

From Surviving to Living

This month in our Inside Out support group, we’re digging into this very thing—what it means to honor our capacity, reclaim our peace, and rewrite the story of strength. If the movie left you raw, you're not alone. Let's not just cry in the dark and go back to pretending. Let’s unpack it, together.

There is power in processing out loud.
There is healing in safe spaces.
There is hope on the other side of honesty.

If you’re tired of carrying the weight alone, I want to invite you into a room where you don’t have to.
Our weekly support group meets Wednesdays at 7PM, and we’d love to have you.  Come as you are. Leave a little lighter.

And to every woman holding on by a thread…
I see you. I get it. You’re not crazy. You’re just carrying too much.
Let this be your permission to put it down.

With Grace,

—Destiny 🤎