Why do I feel unseen even when I’m constantly needed?

Question from Daniela M., 36, Panama City, Panama. Mama to 9-month-old baby boy Daniel. 

Daniela is a stay-at-home mom who left her job to raise her son. She’s deeply involved in daily caregiving but feels emotionally neglected and unseen by her partner, friends, and even herself.

Mama, 

There’s this strange paradox in motherhood —
you can be touched all day, needed all day, giving everything you have…
and still feel completely invisible.

I’ve been there.
When every hour is consumed by feedings, diaper changes, laundry, schedules — and somehow, no one stops to ask, “How are you doing?”

You’re the engine of the entire household, yet you feel like the background.
Not because you don’t matter — but because somewhere along the way, being needed replaced being seen.

And that kind of emotional invisibility hurts.

It’s not just the physical exhaustion.
It’s the emotional loneliness — the sense that your worth is only tied to how much you give, not who you are.

But mama, you’re not just useful. You’re human.
You’re worthy of care, even when you're not the one giving it.

You deserve to be asked how you’re feeling.
You deserve to have your emotional needs met.
And you deserve to feel seen for the person you are — not just the role you fill.

This is more than burnout.
This is a wake-up call to reclaim your identity — piece by piece, breath by breath.
You are not a machine. You are not invisible.

I see you. And you matter.

Love,
Lina P.