There was a time I lived in the past more than I realized. Replaying moments I wished I could change. Holding onto versions of myself that no longer fit. Carrying regret like it was proof that I had loved well.
But regret is heavy. And I learned that carrying it does not make the road ahead any easier to walk.
Growth asked something different of me. It asked me to look forward—not because the past didn't matter, but because it had already done its work. Every stumble taught me how to stand. Every closed door showed me the strength it takes to build something of my own. I began to understand that life is not static. It moves with us. It grows as we grow.
Love was part of that becoming.
Each relationship shaped me in ways I couldn't see at the time. Each ending stripped me down, then slowly built me back with more awareness, more patience, more honesty. I didn't come out untouched. I came out wiser. Softer in some places. Stronger in others.
I stopped asking why things ended and started asking what they taught me. I learned what it means to listen. To choose presence over ego. To love without losing myself. And most importantly, I learned that becoming better is not about perfection—it's about willingness.
There is something freeing about realizing you are not finished yet. That you are allowed to grow beyond your mistakes. That the version of you who was hurt is not the version of you who will always love.
So I let the past be what it was—a teacher, not a sentence. I stopped punishing myself for what I didn't know back then. I chose instead to believe that better things are coming. Not because life gets easier, but because I am learning how to meet it with more courage.
This chapter is for anyone who feels behind, broken, or unsure. You are not late. You are becoming. And what's ahead of you is not diminished by what's behind you—it is shaped by it.