HEAL

It's a word we throw around a lot. It's often associated with a broken heart... But there’s also healing from betrayal of trust - by a friend, a family member, maybe even an employer. You might need healing from old versions of yourself - a marriage, or an outdated dream. Perhaps healing from chaos, especially if you’ve gotten used to dysfunction in your life. Or… healing from emotional exhaustion - burnout, caregiving, or just chronic doing.

Healing has many names - and all of them matter.

I’ve definitely found myself beginning the healing journey more than once. One of the most painful came when my marriage of thirty‑two years abruptly ended. I didn’t think I’d ever recover. For a while, I moved through the days like a ghost - showing up for work, pretending everything was fine, but feeling completely untethered inside.

Eventually, I realized I couldn’t do it alone. Fortunately, I was surrounded by amazing friends who reminded me I was still lovable. Already in therapy, we simply got more focused - and I joined support groups where I could tell the truth without editing it. Little by little, I started doing things on my own: dinner for one, solo movie nights, new experiences like a paint night - even comedy shows that helped me laugh my way through the pains of change. None of it “fixed” me, but each small act stitched a little piece of me back together.

That’s when I realized: healing isn’t a straight line. It’s messy. It loops back. It surprises you. Some days you feel strong and centered, and other days you’re crying in the car wondering why it still hurts. But here’s what I’ve learned: healing isn’t about “getting over it.” It’s about making space for the pain without letting it take every aspect of your life hostage. It’s about learning to live with your story - not as the headline, but as one chapter in a much bigger book.

When I think about it now, healing isn’t one big moment of closure or forgiveness. It’s a thousand tiny moments of courage - choosing yourself again and again, even when it still hurts. It’s remembering that you’re allowed to be both grateful and grieving, both broken and becoming.

Healing is simply the proof that your heart still wants to live. And it sometimes shows up in the smallest, quietest ways... It’s the late night when you finally delete the old message thread. The morning when you make coffee and realize you didn’t think about the past until halfway through the cup. The afternoon when you laugh - really laugh - and it catches you off guard. Healing can be found in small choices like:

• the morning you choose rest - to really rest - instead of replaying everything in your head,
• the text you wrote, but don’t send,
• the breath you take before reacting.

Those count. Those are real.

So today, let’s honor ourselves for the small victories in this ongoing, imperfect, beautiful journey of healing.