Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about the concept of ‘letting go’. We constantly talk about how freeing it feels. We constantly read articles that tell us to go ahead and let that guy go. But we don’t talk about the aftermath. We don’t talk about the pain that we all feel when we finally get the guts to let him go.

We don’t talk about how hard it is. And to be honest, it takes a long time to feel ok afterwards.

We tell one another to just let it go and to deal with it. We tell one another that letting someone go who hurt us, is going to feel good. We say it’s going to feel so wonderful, that we will wonder why we even put up with them in the first time.

Don’t get me wrong, letting go of someone who is toxic for you and someone who has been abusive towards you, will probably have an immediate good effect on you.

But, to let go of someone who you thought was going to be your forever is hard. To let go of that one person who you cherished for so long, and who you loved with your whole heart, is going to be heart wrenching.

You can’t say good bye and immediately feel happy. It takes work to let someone go. And it takes work to finally feel free from it. It’s not easy to let go of someone in the first place. But to expect others to let go and feel ‘free’ is the wrong way to go about it.

Letting go of someone you care about will never be easy.

It will be heartbreaking no matter what. It’s not going to suddenly open up opportunity for you. It’s not going to suddenly make your world brighter. And I’m afraid, your world might grow dimmer without them for a while. Even if they cheated and lied to you. Even if they did you wrong. It’s going to be difficult. 

So, when you let that boy go, don’t expect to feel a weight lift off your shoulders right away. You are going to feel a lot of pain. A lot of guilt. And a lot of heartache. But don’t worry. I promise you that one day, you will realize that all that hurt was worth it. Eventually, it will all make sense.

Just know that letting go of someone who you care deeply about and who cares deeply about you, isn’t going to be a walk in the park.

It is a mountain climb. It is a rollercoaster of every emotion. Yet, no matter the pain and the hurt that comes with it, letting someone stay in your life that doesn’t belong there would be unfair to you. It would be an injustice for your life.

So, do what you have to do. Eventually, it’s going to be worth it. You have to let go of those individuals who only bring you down, no matter how much you love them. One day, the hurt will fade. The guilt will lose it’s hold on you. And you will feel free, just like they said you would.