I didn’t know what codependency was. I just believed taking care of others was who I had to be. As a child, keeping the peace and putting others first felt like my job. It was how I survived, so I never questioned it. I carried that into all my relationships, including my marriage, often with people who weren’t healthy for me. I kept giving and shrinking myself, thinking that’s what love meant. But not everyone expected that from me. Some allowed me to be my true self, the healthier version of me. My marriage showed me how much I was losing myself, but those healthier relationships reminded me who I really was. I realized I didn’t have to live in survival mode or keep attracting toxic and abusive relationships. I chose to rewrite my story for me and my children. The breaking point became my turning point. I started finding my voice and setting boundaries. I’m learning to support others without feeling like I have to fix them.