Please Be Gentle With Your Healing Heart

Sometimes, on our most painful days, we look out at the wreckage of our hearts. We survey the mess, critiquing every imperfection. And sometimes, we take an already hurting heart and break it more: we break our hearts by critiquing our pain, comparing our struggles to what we see around us, and by trying to put things back together before we’re ready. Healing is a process, and if we try and rush it, we could do more harm than good.

But, healing WILL come. It may take awhile. It may be messy, but it has always been a part of your journey. It has always been a phase you were destined to enter into, like the daybreak stretching its rays to meet the promise of the light. Darkness doesn’t last. When you’re ready, you can move forward into the light again.

In the meantime, be gentle with your healing heart. Don’t critique the speed at which you are mending the pain of your past. Don’t get distracted by how others are moving forward. Forgive yourself when you’re having a hard time. Remind yourself that you’re human and that you’re trying. Humble yourself enough to know when you need help. Love yourself because you have already come so far and you will only continue to grow. Trust yourself enough to know that you are going to get through even your hardest days. Give yourself a chance to heal and a chance to grow and know that you’re worthy of that process, however it may look.

It may take longer than you thought it would. That’s okay. It may have lots of ups and downs. That’s okay. If you ever feel tempted to judge your heart, I implore you to choose empathy instead. Look at all the things you’ve been through. Look at all of the cracks and breaks in your heart as a testament to your resilience. You are still here. Your heart is still fighting. YOU are still fighting. There is such pure beauty and strength in that simple truth.

When a friend comes to you and they are hurting, I know you are the first to offer comfort, encouragement, and support. You are the first to offer a shoulder to lean on. You are the first to remind that friend how wonderful they are. You are the first to clear the fog of heartbreak with a renewed perspective centered around love and acceptance. You would never turn your back on someone’s darkest moments. So, don’t turn your back on your own heart either.

Protect your heart. Give it room to breathe, room to heal, room to grow. You deserve time, space, and reflection. It’s the same kind of help that you would offer someone else in the same situation. You don’t have to stop fighting for others. You don’t have to stop being the warrior that I know you are. Just don’t forget to fight for yourself too okay?

I know it’s hard to feel seen when you’ve spent so much time in the dark. But, when you are ready, let the light in. You have always been meant for the dawn of a new beginning. Let the rays of healing wash over your heart. You deserve it.