What I endured has not poison my heart. I remain open to love, to life, and to all the beauty still waiting for me.
Endurance didn’t make me hard. It made me clear.
What I endured has not poisoned my heart. It left a scar, it left a memory, it left lessons I didn’t ask for. But poison is different. Poison spreads and turns everything bitter. I wouldn’t give it that power.
I remain open to love, not because I’m naive, but because I’ve seen what closing off does. It feels safe for a while, then it gets lonely, then it gets small. I choose the risk instead. I choose to believe people can still show up honest, that friendship can still be steady, that love can still be kind without keeping score. My heart has been bruised, but it still knows how to recognize the real thing when it arrives.
I remain open to life. That means I still laugh loud, I still try new things, I still make plans even after plans fell apart before. I don’t walk around waiting for the next hit. I walk around expecting the next good surprise. The hard seasons taught me how to appreciate an ordinary Tuesday, how to protect my peace, how to say no without guilt and yes without fear.
And I remain open to all the beauty still waiting for me. I haven’t seen all the sunsets I’m meant to see. I haven’t met all the people I’m meant to learn from. I haven’t created all the work I’m meant to leave behind. There’s music I haven’t heard yet, places I haven’t stood in yet, versions of myself I haven’t met yet. That future isn’t a fantasy. It’s a promise I keep by staying soft on purpose. #WhatIEndured #UnpoisonedHeart #StillOpen #OpenToLove #OpenToLife #BeautyStillWaiting #HeartStillSoft
