"The Myth of Time: Do Wounds Truly Heal?"

They say time heals all wounds. The saying has been passed down for generations, like an overused band-aid, slapped onto every emotional scrape and cut. But does time really heal, or does it merely sweep the mess under the rug, leaving it to gather dust until one day it resurfaces in all its rawness?

We like to believe that one day, everything will fall into place — that the jagged pieces of our shattered emotions will miraculously assemble into a picture of clarity and peace. But life isn’t a puzzle with a predetermined solution. Some pieces never fit, no matter how much time or effort we spend forcing them together.

The truth is, certain emotions never truly die.

They fade, sure. They lose their sharp edges, dulled by the passage of years and the distractions of daily life. We convince ourselves that we’ve moved on, that we’ve forgiven, that we’ve let go. But all it takes is a single moment — a song, a smell, a fleeting memory — to reopen the floodgates. Suddenly, you’re back in that place, reliving the hurt, the anger, the longing, as though no time has passed at all.

The Weight of Unspoken Words

One of the heaviest burdens to carry is unspoken emotion, especially when it involves loving someone who didn’t love you back. Perhaps they didn’t understand your feelings, or worse, they chose to ignore them. Either way, the rejection stings in a way that no amount of time can completely erase.

You tell yourself they didn’t deserve your love, but late at night, the questions come creeping in. Why didn’t they see me? Why wasn’t I enough? Time might dull the pain, but it doesn’t answer these questions. And so, the ache lingers, tucked away in the corners of your heart, waiting for a quiet moment to make itself known.

The Illusion of Forgiveness

Then there’s the myth of forgiveness — the idea that time will eventually soften the sharp edges of betrayal, allowing us to forgive those who hurt us. Forgiveness, we’re told, is more for ourselves than for the other person. It’s a noble concept, but one that often feels out of reach.

Because how do you forgive someone who broke you in ways you never thought possible? How do you forgive the friend who betrayed your trust, the lover who shattered your heart, the family member who failed you when you needed them most?

Sure, you might tell yourself that you’ve forgiven them. You might even believe it. But then, in an unguarded moment, the bitterness bubbles back to the surface, reminding you that some scars are more than skin deep.

The Inescapable Echoes of Pain

Time is a master of disguise. It covers old wounds with a thin layer of forgetfulness, lulling us into a false sense of healing. But underneath, the pain remains, waiting for a trigger to bring it roaring back to life.

This doesn’t mean we’re weak or incapable of moving on. It simply means we’re human. To feel deeply is both a blessing and a curse. It’s what allows us to love with abandon, but it’s also what makes the inevitable pain of loss and rejection so hard to bear.

And let’s not forget the guilt that often accompanies lingering pain. We chastise ourselves for not letting go, for not “moving on” in the way society expects us to. But healing isn’t a linear process. It’s messy, unpredictable, and deeply personal.

The Quiet Resilience of the Human Heart

Despite all this, there’s a quiet resilience in the human heart. We may never fully forget the pain of being hurt or the ache of unrequited love, but we learn to carry it. It becomes a part of us, shaping who we are and how we navigate the world.

Over time, we may even find beauty in the scars — a reminder of the strength it took to survive, the courage it took to keep loving in the face of heartbreak. Because in the end, it’s not about forgetting or forgiving. It’s about learning to live with the echoes, to coexist with the memories, to find peace amidst the chaos.