Watching Someone You Love Finally Breathe Again

I had a really meaningful conversation with a friend today. Over the past year, I’ve been on my own journey of discovering that I have ADHD, and today she reached out and said something I never expected to hear: “I swear you saved my life.”

Recently, she went through ADHD testing after I suggested it. I didn’t bring it up with any certainty—just a gentle “maybe this is worth looking into.” And if it wasn’t ADHD, then at least it could help rule something out and point her in a better direction. When you’re parenting young kids and life starts to feel overwhelming in a way that doesn’t quite make sense, it could be ADHD… or anxiety, depression, or a number of other things. For me, it was about working through a checklist—trying to understand why I felt the way I did by ruling things out one by one.

I can honestly say I didn’t do anything heroic. I just shared my experience—how much I had been struggling with everyday life. Things that seemed simple for others felt incredibly difficult and mentally exhausting for me. My friend, like me, is a mom trying to juggle too many things at once, often feeling like nothing is getting fully accomplished.

So when she called today, I could hear the difference immediately. She had started medication, and it felt like everything had finally clicked into place. She was genuinely happy. In a short amount of time, she noticed she had more patience with her kids. At first, she joked that maybe her kids had magically started behaving better (which is adorable, because… kids are still kids). But then she had a realization: it wasn’t them—it was her. She was able to manage the demands of the day more easily, which changed how she responded to everything around her.

She told me she felt more patient than usual, and she was both amazed by this new awareness and excited for what’s ahead. She also laughed about how she powered through a long to-do list in a single day—something I completely related to. I reminded her that I did the same thing at first, and then had to learn to slow down and rest after those bursts of productivity.

To one of my favorite people in the world: I am so proud of you. Truly. And in my opinion, you were already incredible just as you were. I love you, and I’ll always be here—to listen, to support you, and to cheer you on whenever you need it.