Letting Go, Holding On: Finding Freedom in Forgiveness

It’s a curious thing, isn’t it? Missing the people who hurt you. There’s a quiet ache that creeps in when you least expect it—a song, a smell, a memory rushing back like an old, familiar friend. But here’s the paradox: some of those memories belong to people who no longer deserve a space in your heart.

This is the tug-of-war we all face. We are wired for connection, for love, for memories that make up the mosaic of who we are. And sometimes, the people who brought us joy also brought us pain. The ones who built us up were the same ones who tore us down. Letting them go doesn’t erase the love you felt; it just means you’re choosing to honor yourself more.

Letting go is not forgetting. It’s not pretending you don’t care or that the pain didn’t matter. It’s acknowledging that your future is too precious to let the weight of yesterday’s wounds hold you hostage. Letting go is an act of courage, not weakness. It’s a declaration that you refuse to stay stuck in a place that no longer serves you.

It’s normal to miss them. It’s human to wish things could have been different. But missing someone doesn’t mean they’re meant to stay in your life. Missing them is a sign of your capacity to love, even when it wasn’t returned in the way you deserved. That’s a beautiful thing—a reminder of your strength and tenderness, not a sign of failure.

But here’s where the hope shines through: when you let go, you make space. Space for healing. Space for new relationships. Space for a deeper love for yourself. When you release the grip on what was, your hands are open to receive what could be.

So, let yourself miss them. Let yourself remember. But don’t let those feelings pull you back into the darkness. Instead, let them guide you forward, toward a life that is lighter, freer, and filled with people who lift you up instead of pulling you down.

You’re not letting go of the good moments—they’ll always be a part of you. What you’re releasing is the hurt, the disappointment, and the cycle of pain that comes with holding on too tightly. In doing so, you reclaim your power. You reclaim you.

Letting go isn’t the end; it’s the beginning of something new. Something beautiful. Something that will remind you that even in your broken places, you are whole. And that the best chapters of your life are still waiting to be written.