HEALING

The heart-shaped stone sits among the rocks like an open wound-exposed to the sun, wind, and the quiet work of time. The stones beneath can't fix it, but they bold it in place while the healing happens.

In dating after 50, healing often means learning to soften into discomfort instead of rushing past it. It means learning new ways-maybe you go to therapy, journal, or sit at the beach alone instead of slipping back into your old habit of self-destruction. These are acts of healing. And then there are parts we don't control. Our hearts soften between tides. Sunlight warms a place we thought had gone permanently cold. A morning comes, and the ache isn't as sharp. These are gifts of healing.