08/23/2025
Iāve learned not to hold people hostage to who they used to be. We all carry versions of ourselves that no longer fitāthe mistakes we made, the things we didnāt know, the pain we caused when we didnāt yet understand our own. Iāve seen how easily someone can be reduced to their worst moment, how quickly a past version becomes the only version others choose to remember. But the truth is, people outgrow their old skin. They stumble, they learn, and if life allows, they try to do better. We all have chapters we wish we could rewrite. That doesnāt mean we havenāt earned the right to start a new one. Iāve watched friends become softer, more patient. Iāve seen people who once lived in chaos become anchors for others. Growth isnāt always loud or dramaticāitās often quiet, steady, unglamorous. But itās real. And when we dismiss someone for who they were, we miss out on who theyāve worked so hard to become. No one should be permanently defined by a version of themselves theyāve already outgrown. Weāre all in motion, figuring things out, trying again. And if we can give that grace to ourselves, we should be willing to offer it to others too.
~ Bloom, Writerās Blossoms
Photography: Pinterest (no photographer/ artist credited)
