Healing isn’t linear. Just when you think you’ve moved on – from heartbreak, betrayal, or someone who broke your trust – something small can bring it all back. A song, a post, a memory. And suddenly you're asking yourself, “Why does this still hurt?”

That doesn't mean you’re broken.

It means you cared.

It means you trusted.

And it hurt.

This short reflection reminds us that healing has no perfect timeline. Even if it’s been months or years, it’s okay if the sting still shows up. It doesn’t mean you’re stuck – it means you’re still healing.

If an old wound is still lingering, this is your permission slip to feel it without shame, to honor the ache without rushing it away.

00:06

Hey, this is It's Okay If, bite-sized permission slips. I'm MaculHooley, and today's permission, it's okay if you thought you were over it and you're not. Yeah, that heartbreak, that betrayal, that person who broke your trust in a way you just didn't see coming. Maybe you told yourself you moved on. Maybe your friends told you you're better off without them. And maybe most days you even believed that.

00:37

But then something, a song, a place, a random post on social media, it pulls you right back into that ache. And your mind starts whispering, why does this still feel like this? I thought I processed this, or I should be over this by now. But here's what I want to offer you today. Healing from betrayal isn't neat, it's not linear, and there's honestly no perfect finish line.

01:05

Sometimes, even years later, your body remembers before your brain does. And those echoes of hurt, they don't mean you haven't grown. They mean you cared. They mean you trusted. And it hurt. So if those memories, those feelings, if they're still showing up sometimes, that doesn't mean you're stuck. It means you're still healing. And that healing, it deserves your patience.

01:34

So maybe take a moment right now, if there's an old wound still lingering in the background, can you let it be part of your story today without needing to rush it away or push it back down? If you're up to it, tell yourself that you give yourself permission to feel the sting even if you thought you were done, even if you wish you were past it. That's your permission slip, friend. Tuck it in your pocket and I'll see you next time.