Day 7: When Goodbye Still Hurts

Goodbye still hurts—not because I want them back, but because of everything I gave that can’t be returned.

It’s not the loss of the person that aches most—it’s the loss of the version of myself I was when I believed. Believed in them. Believed in us. Believed in the future we promised each other.

It’s the goodbye to the girl who tried. The woman who stayed. The heart that gave without keeping score. That part of me didn’t walk away empty—it walked away bruised, questioning, and changed.

Maybe that’s what hurts the most: the quiet realization that I was never truly seen in return. That while I was all in, they were already drifting out. And still, I held on, thinking love could fix what truth had already exposed.

The pain isn’t just about them. It’s about me. The parts I silenced. The needs I ignored. The worth I questioned. The grief comes not from absence, but from awakening.

And yet, I’m still here. Softer in some ways. Sharper in others. Learning to love without losing. To remember without reopening. To say goodbye and mean it.

Reflective Prompt: What part of your goodbye still lingers—and is it them you miss, or the version of yourself you were with them?

🎵 Song pairing: “Jar of Hearts” – Christina Perri

https://open.spotify.com/search/%E2%80%9CJar%20of%20Hearts%E2%80%9D%20%E2%80%93%20Christina%20Perri

💬 Quote: “Goodbye hurts most when it’s tied to the pieces of yourself you gave away.”

With honesty,
Stacey