There are moments in life that mark us so deeply, they carve their names into our memory. A love we lost. A chapter that closed too soon. A person who changed us forever. And when we talk about letting go, it can feel like we’re being asked to erase those parts of our story—to forget, to move on, to pretend it never meant as much as it did.
But letting go doesn’t mean forgetting. It means learning how to carry the past with you without letting it weigh you down.
There is a quiet kind of strength in remembering. In holding onto what once made your heart full, not to relive it or rewrite it—but to honor it. Letting go is not an erasure. It’s an act of transformation.
You Can Turn the Page Without Tearing It Out
I used to think that moving on meant forgetting. That in order to stop the ache, I had to pretend the past didn’t exist. But the truth is, the ache only grew louder when I tried to silence it.
Grief, loss, heartbreak—they don’t disappear just because we’re tired of feeling them. They soften when we allow them to be part of us. When we stop fighting them. When we let them shape us, instead of shame us.
The chapters that break us open are still part of our story. They don’t need to be rewritten. They need to be remembered. With tenderness. With clarity. With the understanding that they taught us something essential about who we are.
So no, you don’t need to forget. You just need to stop clutching the past so tightly that your hands aren’t free to receive what’s next.
Memory Is Not the Enemy
We’re told to move on. To get over it. To stop living in the past. And while yes, healing requires forward motion, it doesn’t require amnesia.
You can move forward and still feel. You can carry love and loss in the same breath.
Letting go is not about abandoning your memories. It’s about finding the strength to acknowledge them—even the painful ones—and still take the next step.
I had to learn how to hold space for both: the ache of what was, and the hope of what could be. And in doing that, I discovered something surprising:
The past doesn’t hold me hostage when I stop trying to run from it.
Instead, it becomes something I carry—not with regret, but with reverence.
Life Moves On, and So Can You
There’s a moment in every healing journey when you realize: you can miss what was, love who you were, and still choose to turn the page.
Letting go is not a betrayal of the past. It’s a commitment to your future.
You can bring everything you’ve learned with you. The beauty. The brokenness. The truth. All of it.
Letting go is about making peace with what no longer fits, not because it wasn’t real, but because you are growing.
So don’t rush to forget. Don’t erase what made you feel. Let the memories come. Let them stay. Just don’t let them stop you from living the life that’s waiting for you now.
Let your purpose lead. It knows the way.
SLAY Reflection
- Is there something in your past you’ve been trying to forget in order to move on?
- How might you carry it differently—with tenderness instead of pain?
- What have your most difficult moments taught you about yourself?
- Are you ready to stop running and start remembering?
- What would turning the page look like for you today?
S – Sit with your memories, even the hard ones
L – Let yourself feel without needing to fix
A – Accept what was, and honor how it shaped you
Y – Yield to growth—even when it hurts
Call to Action: Join the Conversation
I’d love to hear from you.
What is something from your past that you now carry with love instead of pain?
Share your story in the comments. Let’s cheer each other on.
And if you know someone who’s struggling to let go, send this to them.
Sometimes, all we need is a nudge.
