I used to think healing had a finish line.
I thought one day I would wake up and suddenly feel “fixed.” That the hurt would disappear, the anxiety would quiet down, the overthinking would stop, and I would finally feel like myself again.
But healing does not work like that.
Some days I feel strong, motivated, hopeful, and at peace ✨
Other days, I feel overwhelmed by emotions I thought I already worked through. Sometimes old wounds reopen. Sometimes memories hit harder than expected. Sometimes I catch myself grieving versions of me that no longer exist.
And honestly? That used to make me feel like I was failing.
But I am learning that healing is not linear 🌿
Growth is messy. Healing is messy. Life is messy.
There are days where you feel like you are finally moving forward, and then suddenly something pulls you right back into sadness, fear, insecurity, or exhaustion. That does not erase your progress. It does not mean you are broken. It means you are human.
I think one of the hardest parts of healing is giving yourself grace during the setbacks 🤍
Grace when you outgrow people.
Grace when you have to start over.
Grace when you are emotionally tired.
Grace when you react emotionally instead of perfectly.
Grace when you are still learning how to love yourself through difficult seasons.
For a long time, I was so focused on surviving that I forgot how important it was to slow down and care for myself too.
Some healing looked big:
Leaving unhealthy mindsets behind.
Learning boundaries.
Learning how to speak up for myself.
Finding faith again.
But some healing looked small too ☀️
Getting out of bed.
A simple morning with the keiki.
Watering my plants.
Creating jewelry again.
Laughing without guilt.
Listening to music in the car.
Watching the ocean.
Dancing with my sisters.
Allowing myself to believe brighter days still existed.
That is the thing about healing.
Sometimes it happens quietly.
I do not think we ever fully return to the version of ourselves we were before heartbreak, grief, disappointment, betrayal, motherhood, anxiety, or loss. But maybe that is not the goal. Maybe healing is about becoming softer, wiser, stronger, and more compassionate toward ourselves along the way.
Romans 12:12 became one of the verses I leaned on deeply:
“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”
Not perfect in affliction.
Not fearless in affliction.
Patient.
That verse reminded me that healing takes time 🌊
And maybe that is okay.
So if you are in a season where progress feels slow, where emotions feel heavy, or where you are frustrated with yourself for not “being over it already,” please remember this:
You are still growing.
You are still healing.
And even slow healing is still healing ☀️✨
Sincerely,
Kris