I met my younger self for coffee today
“Just wait….you’ll be so proud.”
I met my younger self today. She ordered an espresso martini—I ordered a shot of espresso.She was a teenage mother, scared and uncertain. I am a woman who has learned to stand firm.She was raising a special needs child, feeling unprepared. I carry the love of a mother who gave her all.She thought love meant enduring pain. I know now that real love doesn’t hurt.She survived domestic violence. I am a survivor who reclaimed her power.She walked away from a head-on collision as the only survivor. I walk with gratitude for every step I take.She buried her only child, thinking the pain might consume her. I honor that love every day and still find reasons to smile.She searched desperately for love. I am learning to let love find me.She dreamed of stability. I built a career, a business, and a life that’s mine.She felt lost in her own presence. I have learned to love my own company.She questioned if God saw her pain. I walk in faith, knowing He carried me through it all.She wouldn’t believe the woman sitting across from her. But I’d sip my espresso, smile, and say—just wait. You’ll be so proud."Healing Through the Storm: A Journey of Resilience, Faith, and Self-Love
There are moments in life that redefine us—moments that shake us to our core and leave us wondering if we’ll ever truly heal. I’ve faced those moments more times than I can count. From becoming a teenage mother raising a special needs child to surviving domestic violence, from walking away as the only survivor of a head-on collision to burying my only child—I have known grief, pain, and loss in ways I never imagined.
And yet, I am still here. Thriving. Healing. Becoming.
Through it all, I’ve learned that healing isn’t just about surviving—it’s about transforming. It’s about finding peace in the storm, embracing our own presence, and learning to love ourselves the way God always intended. If you are in a season of struggle, I want to share with you the practices, scriptures, and truths that have guided me on this journey.
The Power of Self-Compassion
When we go through pain, it’s easy to be hard on ourselves—to blame ourselves for the past, for the people we trusted, for the ways we didn’t know better. But true healing begins with grace.
Therapeutic Practice: Self-Compassion Letter
Write a letter to your younger self. Acknowledge her struggles, her fears, and her pain. Speak to her with the kindness you would offer a friend. Remind her of her strength, her resilience, and the fact that she was always doing her best.
Biblical Guidance
"The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit." – Psalm 34:18
God does not look at our pain with judgment—He looks at us with love and compassion. If He can extend grace to us, we must learn to extend grace to ourselves.
Rebuilding After Trauma
Trauma has a way of making us feel like we are stuck in survival mode, always waiting for the next disaster. But healing means learning to live again—to not just exist but to embrace life with purpose.
Therapeutic Practice: Grounding Techniques
When anxiety or past trauma creeps in, practice grounding techniques:
5-4-3-2-1 Method: Name 5 things you see, 4 things you feel, 3 things you hear, 2 things you smell, and 1 thing you taste.
Deep Breathing: Inhale for four counts, hold for four counts, and exhale for four counts.
Affirmations: Repeat truths to yourself—"I am safe. I am loved. I am healing."
Biblical Guidance
"I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten." – Joel 2:25
God is in the business of restoration. No matter what has been lost, no matter what was taken from you, He can redeem it. Your story is not over.
Letting Go of the Need to Be Rescued
For years, I searched for love, thinking that another person would heal the wounds inside me. But healing was never meant to come from another person—it was meant to come from within and from God.
Therapeutic Practice: Inner Child Healing
Close your eyes and imagine your younger self sitting across from you. What does she need to hear? What does she need to feel safe?
Speak to her with love. Tell her she is worthy, she is loved, and she is enough just as she is.
Give her the reassurance that she may not have received in the past.
Biblical Guidance
"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." – Psalm 23:1
God is the ultimate provider. The love we seek is already within us, placed there by Him. We don’t need another person to complete us—we are already whole in His love.
Finding Strength in Solitude
I used to fear being alone, equating it with loneliness. But over time, I’ve come to see that solitude is a gift—it’s where we learn to hear God’s voice, where we learn to love ourselves.
Therapeutic Practice: Mindful Solitude
Set aside time to be alone without distractions. No phone, no TV, no noise—just you.
Journal your thoughts and emotions.
Meditate on a Bible verse and let it speak to your heart.
Embrace the quiet, knowing that you are never truly alone.
Biblical Guidance
"Be still, and know that I am God." – Psalm 46:10
God meets us in the stillness. Sometimes, the healing we seek comes in the quiet moments when we allow ourselves to simply be.
Walking in Faith, Even When It’s Hard
There were moments when I questioned God—why did I have to endure so much? Why did I have to bury my child? Why did I have to suffer so many losses? But I’ve come to realize that even in the pain, God was there. Even when I didn’t see it, He was working.
Therapeutic Practice: Gratitude Journaling
Each day, write down three things you are grateful for. Even in the hardest seasons, gratitude shifts our focus from what we’ve lost to what we still have.
Biblical Guidance
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." – Jeremiah 29:11
Even when life feels uncertain, God’s plan is always greater. Trust that He is leading you somewhere beautiful.
Final Thoughts: Your Story Is Not Over
If you are in a season of struggle, know this: You are not alone. You are not broken beyond repair. You are being shaped, refined, and strengthened.
The girl I used to be would never believe the woman I am today. She wouldn’t believe that she would survive it all—that she would find joy, peace, and purpose. But she did.
And so will you.
Healing is possible. Joy is possible. A beautiful life is possible. Keep walking, keep believing, and never stop becoming the person you were always meant to be.
