Valentine’s Day can feel like salt in a wound when you’re heartbroken. In this piece, I reflect on my first Valentine’s Day after my engagement ended—an unexpectedly bittersweet turning point in my healing journey. If you're having a blue Valentine's, this story is a reminder that you’re not alone.

After my engagement ended, Christmas became a mirror for grief, resilience, and the quiet work of starting over. I didn’t just grieve a relationship, but the life I’d thought was ahead of me.