Always 150%. I gave everything I had. For him, for us, for the job to keep everything together. I never asked what it was costing me; I just kept giving, until there was nothing left. 

My breakdown revealed something I hadn’t understood before: my energy is not infinite. It is like an ember, not a roaring blast furnace. And an ember can be protected or it can be depleted until it dies out completely. 

Today, before saying “yes” to anything, I ask myself a different question: Does this nourish my ember, or does it drain it? I don’t always succeed. Some days, I only notice my own limits when it’s already too late. But I am learning to recognize them sooner. 

"Ember" is about protecting what still remains.