We live in a world that celebrates bouncing back quickly. Got your heart broken? Move on. Lost someone? Be strong. Struggling inside? Smile anyway. Somewhere along the way, we learned to rush pain, to package our wounds into stories of strength before we’ve even stopped bleeding.
But the truth is: healing is not a race, and there’s no trophy for getting there faster.
Some days you’ll feel like you’re doing okay — the weight on your chest feels a little lighter, the memories don’t sting as much, you can breathe. Then out of nowhere, it hits you again. A song, a scent, a sentence. And suddenly, you’re back where you started. That’s not failure — that’s grief in motion. That’s healing. It’s not linear. It loops, it dips, it doubles back before it moves forward again.
Don’t let the world rush you. There is no deadline for unlearning pain, for reclaiming your voice, for forgiving yourself, or for letting go of what hurt you. It may take months. It may take years. Some wounds won’t ever disappear completely — they’ll just stop aching so loudly. And that’s okay.
Your healing might not look impressive from the outside. You might not post about it. There won’t always be before-and-after photos. But every time you choose not to shut down, every time you get out of bed when it’s hard, every time you breathe through the sadness instead of numbing it — that’s healing happening in real time.
You are not weak for taking time. You are not broken for still feeling pain. You are not behind for not being “over it.” The truth is, healing isn’t about being untouched by pain — it’s about learning to carry it without letting it bury you.
So please — take your time. Grow at your own pace. Cry when you need to. Rest when you’re tired. Don’t force yourself to be okay. One day, without even realizing it, you’ll notice that the weight is no longer as heavy. That laughter comes easier. That you’re dreaming again. And it won’t be because you rushed the process — it’ll be because you honored it.
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