unspoken words

I did not deserve the hurt, but I do deserve the wisdom it gave me. I am no longer blinded by shadows; I see the world as it is, and myself as I truly am. My ability to trust was a gift I gave, not a weakness you exploited. While I will be more discerning now, I refuse to let your dishonesty turn my heart to stone. I forgive the version of me that didn't see it coming. That version of me was kind, open, and sincere—traits I will protect, but now defend with stronger boundaries. Now my peace is a cathedral, I decide who must enter and who will forever remain at the gate. The fire didn't consume me it refined me,I am made of what survived. I am grateful for the truth even though it hurts, because I can only build a real life on honest lands My after is not defined by what was taken, but by what I am choosing to grow in its place. My before was a place where I didn't know my own strength, and my after is a place where I never have to doubt it again.