The beginning of healing is the hardest. Taking that first step — whether it’s telling your story, asking for help, or just admitting to yourself that you’re not okay — takes more courage than most people will ever understand. Recovery is never linear, and anyone who claims it is has never gone through the process themselves. Some days you’ll feel like you’ve made progress; other days you might feel like you’ve slid backwards three chapters.
Healing isn’t a race — it’s a process. Yes, trauma has a way of shaking the ground beneath us, leaving behind cracks we’re not sure how to fill. I won’t sugarcoat it and tell you that it will be a walk in park. On the contrary, recovery from trauma can feel isolating, especially when the world moves on and you’re still picking up the pieces and wanting to simply lash out. I’m not here to give you a lecture or an academic treatise of recovering from trauma. Trust me when I say that only one who has gone through it can understand the struggle, the difficulty of even making a cup of coffee on some days. Whoever needs to hear this, know that even though the road ahead seems daunting and you feel as though everything inside has crumbled beyond repair, know that there is at least one person who will cheer you on.
There’s a quiet kind of strength in getting out of bed when everything inside you wants to disappear. There’s resilience in simply surviving. It’s not always loud or visible. Sometimes it’s a whisper — a single breath, a glass of water, a shower taken after days of trying. These acts, small as they may seem, are signs of your strength. You may not always feel brave, but every time you face the day when you’re hurting, you are.
But here’s something you need to hear, maybe more than once: If no one else is proud of you, be proud of yourself.
Because you’re still here. And that alone is extraordinary.
So celebrate the little things. These are victories. Every single one. Don’t let the world’s obsession with “big wins” make you feel like your steps aren’t enough. They are. They matter. And they are moving you forward.
Most importantly, be kind and compassionate with yourself. We tend to be our own harshest critics, but always remember that healing, whether it be emotional, spiritual, or physical, requires gentleness. Nobody expects you to recover overnight, so accept the pain but do not, under any circumstances, dwell on it and remain immobile. There is no timeline. No deadline. You don’t owe anyone a performance of your healing. You only owe yourself the grace to move at your own pace.
Keep going.
Reclaim your life.
Be proud of your courage.
Be proud of your resilience.
You’re not broken.
You’re healing.
FrogDiva Thoughts 