I'm seeing a lot of chatter about "oil prices today," and it takes me back. Not to the economic reports, though those certainly hit different when you're also trying to make ends meet. No, it takes me back to the cost. The internal cost.

We talk about crude oil, about the unseen forces driving up the price, the global markets. And I think about all the women, especially women of color, who are carrying a crude oil price themselves. The unseen cost of showing up, day after day, in spaces that weren't built for us. The extra labor of code-switching, of proving competence before you can even begin to contribute. The quiet exhaustion.

Sheryl, you just talked about silent injuries. That's it. We don't do "fine" in this corner. We do honest. And honestly, for so many, that price runs high. You're running a race that finished ten years ago. Slow down. I see the glory, but I honor the story. You are more than your output, more than the market demands. Sis, take a breath. You are safe to be human here.