Letting Go of the Need to Tell Your Side of the Story

There was a time when I couldn’t stop explaining myself.

To friends. To family. To anyone who would listen.

I wanted them to understand why I left - that it wasn't a split second choice, and what I was still dealing with after the paperwork was signed. I wanted them to know I wasn’t the bad guy. That I tried. That I stayed far too long. That I was exhausted from carrying it all alone.

But here’s what I’ve realized: my side of the story doesn’t matter to most people—and that’s okay.

At first, that realization felt like a gut punch. I felt invisible. Misunderstood. Silenced. But in reality, it was the beginning of something powerful.

It was the beginning of peace.

When I stopped trying to get people to understand, I started understanding myself.

When I stopped trying to get closure from others, I started giving it to myself.

When I stopped trying to be seen and validated, I became the person who could see and validate me.

The truth is: continuing to tell the story kept me stuck in it.

Every time I repeated it, I reopened wounds that were finally starting to close. Every time I tried to convince others, I put my healing on pause. Every time I told the story, I gave energy to a chapter that no longer served me.

Letting go of that chapter doesn’t mean it didn’t matter. It doesn’t mean you deserved what happened. It doesn’t mean your truth doesn’t exist.

It means you’re choosing peace over performance. It means you’re ready to heal. It means you’re done proving your pain.

Closure isn’t about being understood. It’s about being free.

If you’re still telling the story because you’re desperate for someone to understand… I get it.

But when you're ready—really ready—to turn the page, that silence you were so afraid of?

That’s where the healing starts.

You are not alone. You are not too much. And you are absolutely allowed to move forward without their approval.

Save this post for the days you feel like re-opening the chapter. And if this spoke to you, come hang out with me over on Instagram at @mrs_lindsay_g

We're healing out loud over there—but only when it helps us grow.