In the last month and a half since he moved out, I have been able to start my healing process. At first, it felt unfamiliar—like learning how to breathe again after years of holding my breath. But day by day, it began to feel refreshing, like layers of heaviness were finally being lifted. In this quiet space, I’ve had no choice but to sit with God and be fully honest with myself in ways I had avoided for so long.

Yes, he did things that hurt me.
Yes, we should have ended things years ago.
Yes, I stayed because I got comfortable with being just “happy enough.”
Yes, I was scared of change.
Yes, I was scared of being without him—because I thought he protected everything except for my heart.

But if I am truly honest, I see now that I’ve been playing the victim for far too long. It was easier to focus on his wrongs than to admit my own. I can see moments where I hurt him—things I said, even said softly, that cut deep. Times I didn’t make him a priority. Times I didn’t listen because I needed to stay in control.

Today, I am not bashing myself or him. Instead, I am choosing accountability. Because marriages rarely end because of one person. They end when two people hold on too long, ignore what isn’t working, and confuse the idea of love with the reality of partnership.

That’s what we did—we held on too long. Maybe we loved the idea of marriage more than we loved what we had become together. And sometimes, no matter how much love exists, it isn’t enough to sustain a committed, faithful, truly happy relationship.

So, I commend him for having the courage to walk away when I didn’t. I thank him for that—because his leaving forced me to face myself, to heal, to grow. Not every relationship is meant to last. Some are meant to teach us, to shape us, and to prepare us for who we are becoming.

Six months ago, I was begging him to stay. Six months ago, I didn’t believe I could survive without him. But today, I am no longer that woman.

✨ I am no longer the woman who needs a man to protect her.
✨ I am no longer the woman who doesn’t value her own worth.
✨ I am no longer the woman who puts everyone else’s emotions ahead of her own.
✨ I am no longer the woman who believed she wasn’t enough on her own.
✨ I am no longer the woman who clung to what had already let go of her.
✨ I am no longer the woman without a voice.
✨ I am no longer the woman living in the background of her own life.
✨ I am no longer… her.

It was hard to let her go. In many ways, I grieved her. She had been my identity for so long—sad, broken, depressed, hopeless. But I had no choice, because she couldn’t walk with me into the future God has planned for me.

Today, I am new.
Today, I am hopeful.
Today, I am blessed beyond measure.

My God is an awesome God, and I am letting Him lead me in every part of my life. He is teaching me that I am worthy. That I matter. Not just as a wife, not just as a mother, not just as a daughter, not just as an employee—but simply as me.

I matter.

I am a resilient woman. My heart is open. My spirit is light. My faith is unshakable. And I am ready to walk boldly into this next chapter—not as the woman I used to be, but as the woman I was always meant to become.

Because… she chose herself this time. 🌸

“I am no longer the woman without a voice. I am no longer the woman in the background. I am no longer her.”

With love + truth,
💔 Aria Monroe 💗
Healing in real time. Choosing herself on purpose.

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Love Wasn’t Enough. But Choosing Me Will Be