The Young and the Restless Star Christel Khalil’s Absolutely Inspiring Message For Women

She plays a mother on The Young and the Restless and she’s one in real life, too. Last weekend, on Mother’s Day, actress Christel Khalil had a powerful message for mothers everywhere!

The Emmy-winning actress, who has played Lily since 2002, and is mom to son Michael, 9, posted a heartfelt message, encouraging women everywhere to value themselves and recognize that “we are all mothers to each other at some point.”

“I’ve been dealing with a major move, tenants, selling furniture, an expensive custody case, working, all while still trying to be a good mom and partner,” Khalil posted to Instagram about what her life has been like as she’s taken a bit of a step back from playing Lily.

“I’ve never had my feet held to the fire more in this lifetime so far. The only way I’ve been getting through, is by reminding myself to stay present. When I start to think about what I have to get done, anxiety, sadness, and fear course through me. The important thing is to remember not to run away from these feelings…they are not ‘bad’ or ‘negative’, they are a reminder to check in.

“Check in with your heart, your being, your soul and slow down. I know there’s been a lot of talk around women empowerment which I haven’t been very vocal about since I think it needs to be equal empowerment. Men are amazing too. We are yin and yang. We both have so much to offer each other.”

To read the full story, check out the Instagram post below. (Parental note: she uses a strong expletive to make her point!)

The Young and the Restless airs weekdays on CBS. Check local listings for air times.