Healing isn’t just a personal journey. Once you disclose trauma to others, it has the power to impact their hearts and minds, especially those who care deeply enough to truly listen.

Vulnerability is a strength, but just because you find strength in your vulnerability, it doesn’t mean those who love you will only see your strength. They will also see your rawness, empathize with your emotions, and, through that empathy, find the grace to continue loving you—not out of pity, but out of genuine care.

This weekend, love taught me that I don’t have to face my struggles alone, but I also need to be mindful of how my vulnerability impacts my partner.

While it’s okay to step into fear, to face your darkness, because it doesn’t define you. It has impact. Yet I must trust that hardship doesn’t last forever, and that, through it, our growth can emerge.