I think one thing people don't always notice about women is how much they keep to themselves. I have seen several women carrying the responsibilities of the family yet they keep quiet without complaining, while people might be praising their husbands without knowing that the women are the ones carrying the responsibilities. The truth is that not every woman will talk about what she is going through. Some would rather stay quiet, smile when necessary and continue with their normal routine.
Sometimes, it is not because they don't need help. They simply don't know how to ask for it, or they have become used to handling things privately.
There is also this expectation that women should know how to manage almost everything. If a woman is working, she is expected to be responsible. If she has a family, she is expected to take care of them. If she is going through a difficult period, she is still expected to find a way to keep things running.
I have noticed that people don't always ask what it costs someone to maintain that appearance of being okay.
A woman can be struggling financially and still show up at work looking presentable. She can be disappointed about something in her personal life and still laugh with her friends. She can have several things bothering her and still find time to listen to someone else's problems.
And because she doesn't talk about these things, people assume she has everything under control.
I also think some women have learned to avoid expressing their needs because of how people respond. Sometimes, when they finally speak up, they are told they are overreacting, complaining too much or making a big deal out of something. After a while, keeping quiet starts to feel easier than explaining how they feel.
But women shouldn't have to reach their breaking point before anyone takes their struggles seriously.
I don't think being strong should mean pretending that nothing bothers you. There should be room for women to say they are tired, ask for assistance, change their minds or admit that something is beyond what they can handle at the moment.
A woman shouldn't have to prove that she is struggling before she deserves support, and she shouldn't have to be completely broken before people remember that she is human too.
Maybe we need to pay more attention to the things women don't always say, instead of assuming that their silence means everything is fine. Even a strong woman needs support.
Image by Google Gemini.