Letting go even if it hurts

Letting someone go especially someone we once considered our best friend, our lover, our home is one of the hardest things we’ll ever do. And not because the love is gone. Sometimes, the love remains, heavy and raw, sitting quietly in our chest even as we walk away. What makes it so painful is the realization that love, by itself, isn’t always enough.

We hold onto memories, to inside jokes, to the way they made us feel safe or understood. We cling to the connection the kind that felt like fate, like something out of a movie. And yet, somewhere along the line, that connection becomes a lifeline we’re using to keep ourselves attached to someone who may no longer be good for us. Someone who maybe stopped choosing us the way we still choose them.

And that’s the truth we often avoid:

Just because you love someone doesn’t mean they’re meant to stay.

We confuse love with longevity. We assume that if the bond is deep, the relationship should survive anything. But what we don’t talk about enough is the importance of mutual growth, mutual effort, and mutual respect. Without those, love becomes painful. One-sided. Exhausting.

Sometimes, we outgrow the version of ourselves we were when we met them. Sometimes, they stop showing up. Or we realize we’ve been holding onto potential, not reality. Sometimes we’ve poured so much into someone that we forget to keep anything for ourselves.

Letting go isn’t giving up it’s choosing yourself. It’s saying:

“I love you, but I can’t keep breaking myself to hold onto you.”

It’s grieving a future you thought you’d share. It’s crying when no one’s watching. It’s feeling everything. And still getting up. Still choosing peace. Still moving forward.

If you’re in this place right now holding love in one hand and pain in the other know this:

You’re not weak for letting go.

You’re not heartless for walking away.

You are brave for honoring your worth, even when your heart is still tethered to someone else’s.

Because the real best friend you’ll ever have… is you.

And you deserve love that chooses you back fully, freely, and without conditions.