Putting yourself first can feel impossible when grief, guilt, and family expectations collide. But sometimes, even in the darkest moments, people choose to protect their own peace. Our reader shared her heartbreaking decision to go on the dream trip she and her husband had saved for — just days after her 15-year-old stepson died. While many might have chosen to stay behind, she believed that honoring her own needs, after years of sacrifice, had to come first — even if it meant facing judgment and pain.My husband and I have been married for 11 years, and in all that time, we never managed to take a real vacation. For the past three years, we’d been saving every bit we could to finally go on our dream cruise.
But just four days before we were set to leave, tragedy struck — my 15-year-old stepson died in a car crash.