Earlier this year, Bruce Willis’s family announced that the actor was retiring. Revealing that the Die Hard star was diagnosed with aphasia, friends and family have rallied around Willis to support him in his hour of need. Right at the forefront is wife Emma Hemings Willis, who recently opened up about her own struggles to balance self-care in equal measure with caring for her family, and how it’s “taken a toll.”
Recently, Heming Willis has been making the rounds to promote her brand of skin care, CocoBaba. Specifically formulated to provide a clean product that pregnant mothers can use in their own self-care routines, it was the right time to talk about what that very practice means to her. During an interview with parenting publication The Bump, Emma Heming Willis explained just that with the following story:
I struggle with making the time for self-care every day. I put my family’s needs above my own, which I found does not make me any kind of hero. That amount of care for everyone else within my household had taken a toll on my mental health and overall health, and it served no one in my family. Someone told me not long ago that when you over-care for someone, you end up under-caring for yourself. That stopped me in my tracks and really resonated with me. I don’t mother myself perfectly but I know that I have some basic baseline needs that are a must, like first and foremost, exercise. It’s a time I can disconnect and can do something that I know makes me feel good overall. I think it’s important to find that one thing that makes you feel good and build from there.
The details of Emma Hemings Willis’ assistance tell a story that shows just how she could be burning herself out. In the weeks since Bruce Willis’ condition was revealed, she’s been making sure that the best care possible is available for her husband. Though the Willis family hasn’t totally forgotten how to relax, as Emma and Bruce are still enjoying nature whenever they can.
It must also be a great comfort to see co-stars and friends like Sylvester Stallone and John Travolta paying tribute to Bruce Willis as well. There’s no shortage of support out there for the iconic actor, with Emma Heming Willis’s most powerful ally potentially being Demi Moore. Bruce’s supportive ex-wife has also firmly committed herself to the care of Bruce, and has also interacted with Emma on social media in showing that support.
Anyone can relate to Emma’s and her story of putting family first. It’s easy to forget to take time out for yourself when something so shocking drops into the picture, but admitting it is a good step in the right direction. Just as her brand spreads the message that “everyone deserves to be mothered,” Willis is reminding herself of that fact every day.
Though he is now retired, the roster of upcoming Bruce Willis movies still has some more titles to offer his fans. Not to mention, those who are looking to revisit Willis’s best movies from the past are covered as well. Our best wishes go out to Emma Heming Willis, and the entire Willis family, as they navigate this current chapter in their personal history.
