As we get older, the intensity of our lives, moments, and relationships all increase. Growing up often comes accompanied with growing pains. A lot of the most intense moments of our lives are often some of the most painful. As we grow up, we deal with the types of things that alter the courses of our lives and self-development—deaths, heartbreaks, moves, career changes, family problems, loss of friendships, etc.—these types of things shake our foundations, sense of selves, and direction in which our lives seem to be headed.

Getting over someone or something is very different than letting go. I do believe that there are certain people and things that are meant to come into your life, teach you something or send you in a certain direction, and then leave. Some people and things in your life are temporary in every sense of the word—not everything or everyone is meant to leave a lasting imprint. These are the types of people and things that you let go of, get over, and move forward from.

I also believe that there is another very different type of person, place, or period than the one I mentioned above. There are some things that you are only meant to let go of, but at the same time, also let them become apart of who you are.

You can fall in love with people, places, and periods of your own life. Some people and things come into your life and leave an imprint on your heart, mind, and soul that you will never get over—because it is not something that you are meant to get over. It is something that is meant to become a part of you.

So, here comes the tough question—how do I let go of something, while also accepting that it is something I won't ever "get over" or leave behind? The answer is that you have to accept that there are some things you will not get over, but you have to get through.

There are some things that are impossible to get over, but very possible to get through. The death of a family member, the loss of a loved one, the end of a certain time or stage in your life—these are all things that we are not meant to get over, but we are meant to get through. Once we do get through these things, we come out on the other side as stronger, wiser, and better human beings—as long as we go through these tough times the right way.

In my opinion, the hardest part of this process is letting go. Letting go of something or someone that means so much to you, has made you happy, or had a positive impact on your life is incredibly difficult. The hard truth that we all have to realize is that sometimes good things come to an end.

Good things come to an end for one of two reasons—because something better is coming along, or because it really was not that good anymore. Often times we have to part ways with things and people that we love for a period of time so they can come back to us in an even better way than we initially experienced them.

But, the only way that we can allow something better to come along, or something we used to have come back to us in a better way, is to let go. Letting go is painful. It involves detaching and detoxing, which are both tough processes. Often times in an attempt to avoid facing these processes people make the mistake of numbing—which is not letting go at all, it's running. Running from the painful and hard to face things in your life ensure only one thing; that when you finally do face them, it will only be harder.

I also truly believe that time may not heal all, but it does heal a lot. Letting time pass and being patient are both incredibly hard. But time can only heal your wounds if you are taking care of yourself as well.

In short, the key to letting go in the right way is trusting that everything happens for a reason. We are not meant to get over some things, but just to get through them. The first part of that process is letting go, and the second part of that process is trusting that you are on the right path.