Healing Isn’t a Happy Ending, It’s a Hard-Won Beginning

October 10 – World Mental Health Day

Hi there,

Today, on World Mental Health Day, I want to hold space for the ones quietly fighting battles no one sees, for the ones still trying, still hurting, still healing. This day isn’t about picture-perfect wellness or pretending everything’s okay. It’s about honoring the real, messy, often invisible work it takes to keep going. So if you’re here, reading this, carrying something heavy but still choosing to show up, this is for you.

When we hear the word healing, we often picture a moment of arrival, something clean, complete, and beautiful. A finish line. A moment when everything painful finally fades and the sun comes out for good.

But the truth? Healing doesn’t feel like that.

Not at first. Not even in the middle. And sometimes, not even after years have passed.

Healing, for me, wasn’t about a perfect recovery. It was about inching forward while still hurting. It was about choosing to keep going on days when the weight of what I carried made it easier to just stop trying. It didn’t look inspiring. It looked like survival.

There were days when I woke up feeling lighter, like maybe I was finally okay. And then there were days when I cried over things I thought I had long accepted. For a while, I thought I was doing something wrong as if backsliding meant failure. But now I understand: healing is not linear. It loops. It lingers. It returns in fragments.

And that’s not a weakness. That’s life.

I used to believe healing meant forgetting. In order to move on, I had to erase the pain, rewrite the story, and clean up the mess I made. But now I see it differently. Healing is not forgetting. It’s remembering without the ache that once came with it.

It’s forgiving myself for what I didn’t know back then. It’s accepting the parts of me that made mistakes. It’s letting go of shame while still holding the lessons close.

And maybe most importantly, it’s realizing that healing isn’t about getting back to who I used to be. It’s about becoming someone new - someone softer, stronger, and more self-aware, even if I still carry scars.

There are no medals for this kind of journey. No dramatic transformation montage. Just small, quiet victories: like getting through the day. Like sleeping through the night. Like no longer needing to explain yourself to everyone. Like recognizing your worth, even when no one else is clapping for you.

So no, healing isn’t a happy ending. It’s a hard-won beginning. A commitment to keep showing up for yourself, again and again, even after the storm passes.

Because you’re still here. Still standing. Still learning how to live.

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If you’re wondering what healing looked like for me— messy, real, and unfinished—I wrote about it in a personal reflection.

👉 Read: Beneath the Misses, Beyond the Mess: My Way Back to Me

❁ ❁ ❁

If today feels heavy, please remember:

You don’t have to carry everything alone.

Reach out. Talk to someone. Rest without guilt.

You are not a burden for needing help.

🌿 If you're looking for someone to talk to, here are some resources that might help:

• Philippines: National Center for Mental Health Crisis Hotline – 1553 (landline) or 0917-899-8727 (mobile)
  
  

• International: Befrienders Worldwide – for emotional support in your region
  
  

I’m not a mental health professional—just someone who knows how hard it can be to keep going. But I do know this: You matter. You’re not alone. And help is real and available.

This World Mental Health Day, may we all remember: Healing doesn’t always look like progress. But every small step counts.

You’re doing better than you think. You’re not alone. And you’re already on your way. - MESSY E.

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