Always a Work in Progress: The Beauty of Becoming

A strange myth floats around in our culture—that one day we will arrive.  Arrive at healing.  Arrive at closure.  Arrive at self-love.   Arrive at the version of ourselves that has it all figured out.

However, divorce has taught me one thing: we are always and may always be works in progress. And that’s not only okay — it’s beautiful.

When I first became a divorcee, I thought there would be a moment when I would cross some imaginary finish line. After the paperwork was signed, the heartbreak cried out for months and months, and the dating apps downloaded, I would wake up one morning and feel… done. Healed. Whole.

Spoiler alert: that moment never came, and I’m not sure it ever will.

Instead, life unfolds in chapters — some messy, some magical. When I think I’ve mastered one lesson, another sneaks up to humble me. I’ve learned that healing isn’t linear, growth isn’t one-size-fits-all, and becoming your best self is a lifelong dance, not a single destination.

You will discover that embracing this truth is powerful if you practice and practice. Sometimes, accepting the reality of your journey is exactly what you need.

When we allow ourselves to be works in progress, we give ourselves permission to:

·      Try new things (and fail)

·      Change our minds

·      Outgrow relationships

·      Learn new ways to love

·      Forgive ourselves for not knowing better sooner

·      Keep rewriting the story of who we are

It shows we will always be learning and reminding ourselves it’s completely alright to be you. Not one person on this earth is PERFECT. Why would they be, if they think or say they are? Please run the other way.

Post-divorce life can carry immense pressure to “get it right,” which can be exhausting. We must find a new relationship, achieve Insta-worthy single-mom or single-dad success, and prove we are thriving.

But here’s your gentle reminder today: progress matters more than perfection. Whether you’re inching toward inner peace or taking bold leaps toward new dreams, every small step counts.

You don’t need to be anyone’s version of “healed.” You don’t need to arrive. You only need to keep becoming.

Divorcee Dish readers, wherever you are on your post-divorce journey, take a deep breath and release the pressure to be “done.” You are evolving. You are growing. You can be both a masterpiece and a work in progress, all at once.

And I’ll be here — a fellow in progress —cheering all on.

Xoxo

Erin