It turns out that healing doesn't happen all at once. It unfolds slowly, almost invisibly at first, in the smallest of ways. It looks like the softening of a thought that once felt rigid. The opening of a hand that once stayed closed. The courage to let someone stand a little closer than you would have before.

When you have been hurt, your nervous system becomes wired for protection. It learns to look for warning signs, to anticipate harm. You might find yourself suspicious of even the kindest gestures, bracing for disappointment even when love is being offered. This protective instinct makes a lot of sense. It kept you safe in environments where you needed to be cautious.

Today, though, healing invites you to try something new.

Healing looks like letting your present relationships stand apart from the pain of the past. Giving the people in your life today the chance to show you who they truly are, without expecting them to repeat the harm you have already endured.

It is risky.
It is uncomfortable.
And it is exactly how intimacy and safety begin to grow.

Measured risk is the key. Not abandoning your sense of safety, not forcing yourself into unsafe situations, but allowing yourself to take small, intentional steps. It could mean letting a trusted friend in a little more. It could mean sharing a piece of your story with someone who has shown they can hold it gently. It could mean asking for help and seeing how it is received.

Relational fear, when left unchecked, can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. If we never give anyone a fair and reasonable chance to show up differently, we will continue to experience the same cycles of isolation and hurt. But when we lean in carefully, with our own discernment intact, we invite the possibility for new kinds of connections to form.

Healing does not erase your past. It honors your strength while reminding you that not every relationship will end the same way. You can trust yourself to recognize what is good for you now. You can trust yourself to move toward those who meet you with kindness, respect, and care.

Your past wounds are part of your story, but they do not have to write your future.
Healing is possible, one small, brave step at a time.

Thank you for letting me see you,