Coping end-game
Not finished—just further along the path I have chosen for myself. I will finally stop trying to heal by erasing pain, and I will have learned to live beside it.
I graduated college after a severe traumatic brain injury.
By Gentle Witch
Graduated college with a double major
Former federal government employee
Not finished—just further along the path I have chosen for myself. I will finally stop trying to heal by erasing pain, and I will have learned to live beside it.
My life will move at slower pace. The world will still spin fast, but I will have learned not to rush.
Three years from now, I’ll look in the mirror and see someone I recognize again. The real me—the one who got buried under expectations, comparisons, and noise.
Hopefully, I won’t be chasing validation anymore. My bravery will look like consistency. Like saying “no.” Like staying calm when everything around me demands urgency. What will your life be…
In three years, I will have stopped replaying old conversations in my mind over and over again as I fall asleep. I will have made peace with the fact that…
Not fireworks, not milestones. Just peace—the kind that sits quietly within.
Slower mornings. My sugar-free energy drinks won’t just wake me—it will center me. I’ll read something beautiful before touching my phone. I think that small ritual will save me from…
Three years from now, I think life will be gentler. Not because the world changes, but because I will. I will meet every challenge with open hands.
No grand ending, no perfect plan. Just peace in the present, pride in the progress, and excitement for what’s next.
I’ll be content, but never complacent. Growth isn’t about chasing more—it’s about becoming more.