I Was Strong Enough to Forgive, But He Was Strong Enough to Let Go

It didn’t all fall apart in one moment. Our marriage slowly unraveled over years of hurt, misunderstanding, silence, and trying again. There were small cracks we both ignored, things we brushed under the rug, moments where we lost each other piece by piece and neither of us said a word.

But I kept loving him.

Every time he raised his voice, every time he made me feel invisible, every time he hurt me with words or distance—I still showed up. I forgave him, even when the apology felt hollow or the change didn’t come. I loved him through his flaws, through his temper, through the pain he caused me and my children.

That was my kind of strength.
Loving someone even when it hurt.
Forgiving him even when I was the one bleeding inside.

I stayed. Because I believed we could get through anything. I believed love could carry us. I believed if I gave enough grace, if I held on long enough, he’d meet me there. I thought that’s what commitment meant—staying when it’s hard, not just when it’s easy.

But now… he’s choosing to walk away.

He says he needs space. That he’s not in love with me anymore. That he can’t be the man I need. And as much as it shatters me to hear those words, I realize this is the kind of strength I never saw coming—his strength. Not to fight. Not to stay. But to let go.

And it’s hard to admit, but maybe that kind of strength takes something I never had.

I was always the one holding on. Trying. Believing. Praying.
He was the one who could let go, walk away, and close the door.

I think I always knew deep down this was coming. That no matter how many times I forgave, he wasn’t growing with me. He was growing away from me. I used to think that was a weakness on his part, but now I see it differently. Maybe it takes its own kind of courage to say, “this isn’t working anymore.”

That doesn’t make it hurt any less.

I feel replaced, invisible, and discarded—after all the years I gave, all the love I poured into him and our life. But I also know I gave everything I had. I showed up for our marriage, even when it wasn’t reciprocated. And now, even through the heartbreak, I can say that I stayed soft. I stayed honest. I stayed loyal.

So no… I wasn’t strong enough to walk away first.
But I was strong enough to forgive him over and over again.
Strong enough to believe in us, even when he didn’t.

And that kind of strength matters, too.

It may not have saved our marriage—but it saved me from becoming bitter, from shutting down, from losing myself entirely.

This isn’t the ending I wanted. But it’s the one I have.

And now, it’s my turn to find strength in letting go—not of love, but of the version of love that kept breaking me.

With love + truth,
💔 Aria Monroe 💗
Healing in real time. Choosing herself on purpose.