By Naomi Willow
Hello, my name is Naomi Willow. I’m 50 years old. I have three wonderful children and a great job. On paper, it may look like I have it all together.
But after 22 years of my life passed by, I found myself single — and finally waking up.
Twenty-two years. That’s what I gave to a man who said he wanted a family. He practically begged me for boys, and I gave him two. He promised he would start a business. He promised he would take care of us. He promised we would build something together.
And I believed him.
Coming from a single-parent home, I had never really seen what a steady father looked like. So when I met a man who could cook, clean, do hair, tear down a house and rebuild it — a man who seemed talented and knowledgeable about everything — I was impressed. I was hopeful. I thought I had found someone special.
I already had a four-year-old child when I met him, and they bonded instantly. It felt right. We moved fast and soon had our first child together.
It was during that pregnancy that I began to see the real him.
There were red flags. There were moments I should have walked away. Deep down, I knew something wasn’t right.
But I stayed.
I stayed because I wanted my child to have a father — something I didn’t have growing up. I was having my first boy, and I thought, What do I know about raising a boy? I convinced myself I needed him.
Looking back, I see how much I ignored. I see how much I endured. I see how much of myself I slowly put aside to keep a family together.
This blog is my therapy. It’s my truth. It’s my healing space.
I don’t claim to have all the answers. But I do have knowledge — knowledge of what it took for me to finally say, “Enough is enough.” Knowledge of what it feels like to wake up after decades and realize you deserve peace. Knowledge of what it takes to rebuild yourself.
If you’re reading this and you feel stuck… if you’ve given years to someone who kept promising “one day”… if you’re afraid to start over — I see you.
This is not just my story. It may be yours too.
And I’m finally ready to tell it.
— Naomi Willow 🌿
Unlearning & Becoming 