Don’t grieve the version of yourself you’ve outgrown. Thank her for carrying you this far, then trust God with who you’re becoming next.
“Stop trying to get back to who you were.
I know that version of you felt easier, and softer, and less guarded. I know she felt more hopeful. But she existed before you knew what you know now. She hadn’t been hurt yet. She hadn’t learned the lessons you’ve learned. She hadn’t grown the boundaries you’ve grown.
The version of you that you’re becoming is the one I’ve been preparing
– Jacqueline Whitney
You think becoming wiser made you harder. You think protecting yourself made you cold. But you didn’t lose your softness — you just stopped giving it to people who wouldn’t honor it.
You’re not supposed to go back to her. You’re supposed to integrate what she taught you and keep moving forward. The version of you that you’re becoming is the one I’ve been preparing. She’s not broken. She’s not jaded. She’s just no longer naive.
And that’s not something to mourn — that is something to honor.”
Jacqueline Whitney is the author Held: A 50 Day Devotional For Parents and All That You Deserve.
