I Let Myself Be Changed Without Calling It Broken

Dear Delyara, One of the most difficult things about healing has been accepting that I am not the same person I was before certain things happened. At first I fought that so hard. I wanted to be “back to normal.” Back to softer. Back to easier. Back to less guarded, less careful, less tired in particular emotional places. But healing has not returned me to who I was. It has taught me how to live honestly as who I am now. There is grief in that. And dignity too. I am changed. That is not the same as ruined.