You’re Allowed To Be Happy Without Them

You’re allowed to miss them from time to time, too. You’re allowed to peer backwards and sometimes wish things were different.

Lucas Brown

By Molly Burford

You’re allowed to be happy without them.

You’re allowed to laugh until your stomach hurts and you can no longer breathe because someone with shaggy hair and amber eyes said something so funny you can’t believe it.

You’re allowed to remove pieces of them from your heart in order to make room for new memories in new places with new beings. You’re allowed to break free from what you knew with them. You’re allowed to be okay, even though they’re gone.

You’re allowed to look forward to the weekend, even though they are not part of your plans. You’re allowed to do things without considering what they would think. You’re allowed to have fun without them.

You’re allowed to let them go.

You’re allowed to stop listening for the echo of their goodbye, and you’re allowed to stop hoping for their call. You’re allowed to stop asking “What if?”

You’re allowed to stop torturing yourself over the words you never said, about the steps you never ended up taking. You’re allowed to enjoy your…