If you’ve ever said “I’m fine” while holding back tears, this is for you.

We all know the drill. Someone asks how we’re doing, and without a second thought, we slap on a smile and say, “I’m fine.” Doesn’t matter if we just stubbed our toe, spilled coffee on ourselves, or are actively suppressing an emotional breakdown—“I’m fine” is the default response.

A friend of mine pointed this out to me one day. He told me, “You always say you’re fine, even when you’re obviously not. That’s just you.” And honestly? He was right. Even when I was exhausted, overwhelmed, or barely keeping it together, I still said I was fine. Because that’s what we do, right? Especially women. We keep moving. We take care of everyone else. We don’t want to be a burden.

Then my friend jokingly said, “You should make a shirt so that when you’re not fine, you can just wear it, and I’ll know.” And thus, my “I’m Fine” shirt was born.

It’s funny. It’s sarcastic. But it’s also way too real.