Have you ever experienced the sensation that you can actually feel your heart breaking in your chest? Someone says something to you, something happens, you see something, and suddenly it’s as though that organ in your chest is cracking, breaking, shattering– pieces are crumbling one by one. This has only happened to me a few times in my life, but I remember each moment with such clarity that I still get a sinking feeling when I let my mind wander to those dusty corners.
Sure, some boy or girl dumping you can trigger heartbreak, but there are a million other things that can break your heart. It could be caused by losing someone you love, experiencing issues within your family, severing a friendship, losing a job, not getting into your dream college, experiencing failure, the list goes on and on. As awful as they can be, these situations in our lives typically represent defining moments. They represent pain and lessons learned and what it means to truly have our strength tested.
Some people say that they don’t believe you can feel real joy until you’ve felt real heartache. I disagree with that. I think that a person can experience joy, but they don’t truly appreciate it until they have gone through something that hurts. As morbid as it sounds, heartbreak is inevitable. Your life will not be all rainbows and sunshine every single day, for the rest of your life. But that’s okay. It’s important to experience hurt, because how you react to that pain not only defines your character, but also predicts how you will undergo self-growth.
There is total validation in feeling strongly. It is necessary, healthy, and completely normal to grieve while enduring a broken heart. However, you have to remind yourself that you will not feel that pain forever. Things will change, you will change, the situation will change, and one day you will find yourself having an understanding of that awful thing you went through. Those experiences that you thought would make your life abruptly come to a halt will actually do the opposite. They will propel you into a period of self-discovery that gives you the unique opportunity to learn how to love others better, while also showing you just how resilient you really are. Breathe, trust that God is holding you in the palm of His hand, and keep pushing forward. There is absolutely no “schedule” in the process of healing, so take all the time you need, learn about yourself and the world around you, and remind yourself how awesome you are.
Heartbreak is absolutely no fun, but it is a catalyst that launches us into forming the person we will ultimately become. Instead of bitterly trekking through the peaks and valleys of heartbreak, let’s embrace it, people.
