I'm Fine and Neither Are You

by Camille Pagán

There was a bigger issue, though: most days I had the sense that, while I was frantically dog-paddling to keep our family afloat, Sanjay was sailing by.

Sometimes I deeply resented him. Sometimes I wondered if I had it in me to maintain our status quo for even one more year, say nothing of a lifetime. But even more than I wanted my husband to chip in, both financially and around the house, I wanted a peaceful home for my family. (And let’s face it—for myself.) So instead of yelling, I rolled up my sleeves and finished the pots and pans and then ran to the market to buy eggs and milk. I kept my lips zipped about just how heavily life had been weighing on me lately.

It takes courage to be yourself when everyone expects you to be someone else.

ability to look beyond what was missing and be thankful for all that remained.