Filling a Hole I Never Knew Was Empty

I never realized something was missing.

Not until it arrived.

For so long, I walked through life thinking I was whole convincing myself I didn’t need anything or anyone to feel complete. I was fine. Functional. Moving forward. I thought the emptiness I felt was just the background noise of life, the kind we all carry. The kind we learn to ignore.

But then something shifted.

Maybe it was a person.

Maybe it was a feeling.

Maybe it was simply a moment raw, unexpected, and honest that cracked open a part of me I had long sealed shut.

That’s when I knew:

There was a hole in me.

And it had been there for a long, long time.

Not the kind of hole that screams out loud. Not the dramatic, heart-wrenching kind. This one was quieter. Deeper. It showed itself in the silence between laughter, in the stillness after the noise. A subtle ache, masked by years of survival and strength.

And yet, once I noticed it, I couldn’t unsee it.

Then came the thing that filled it love, connection, truth, maybe even just being seen for who I am, fully and without judgment. Whatever it was, it didn’t patch me up. It fit. Like a missing piece that had finally found its way home.

It didn’t fix me.

It reminded me that healing isn’t always about putting something back together. Sometimes, it’s about discovering what we never knew we were missing.

And that’s the most beautiful kind of healing the kind that sneaks up on you, surprises you, and shows you parts of yourself you forgot existed.

Now I move differently. I speak softer to myself. I hold space for what I feel, for what I need. I cherish the people who bring light into my life without asking for anything in return. I no longer shame the hole that once existed I honor it. Because without it, I would’ve never known what true fulfillment feels like.

I filled a hole I never knew was empty.

And in doing so, I found a version of myself I never knew was possible.