First Real, Reality

To MD,

​Looking back at our time together, I see that chapter of my life with so much clarity. After the trauma I had just been through, your brother introduced us, and you became my first real at-home boyfriend. Back then, I didn't realize how deeply I was affected by my father leaving. I was young, carrying a void I didn't know how to fill, and without realizing it, I became emotionally dependent on you. Thank you for being there for me when I needed a safe place, and I apologize for the heavy weight of that dependency.

​As the years passed, you sought out adventures elsewhere—things that seemed more vivid and captivating to you than what we shared. During that time, I felt deeply lonely and used, carrying the quiet ache of feeling like I was somehow "less." With time and maturity, I have learned to release that self-blame. I was not less; I was simply young, healing, and trying to navigate my own worth.

​Eventually, my feelings shifted. I stopped loving you, and I finally began looking forward toward my own future.

​I am thankful for the period we spent together and for the comfort we offered each other when we needed it. I am so glad that we are on good terms today. I hold no resentment—only peace—and I genuinely wish you love, fulfillment, and a wonderful life.

Past broken, left in the past

 A.L.D.,

​For a long time, the memory of June 1994 sat heavy in my life. I was only 15, vulnerable from my first heartbreak, and you took advantage of a quiet, empty living room to force me into something I was not ready for. You walked away, but the damage stayed. You took my confidence. You took my self-love. For a long time, I felt like I had lost.

​I carried the weight of your actions for years, but this letter is not about what you took. It is about what I have reclaimed.

​I am writing this to formally and finally release you, and the memory of what you did, from my spirit. I am putting down the pain, the lingering doubts, and the fear—those belong to your conscience, not mine. The 15-year-old who lost her self-love that day is safe now. I protected her, I healed her, and I built a life that your memory can no longer touch.

​Today, I am in a beautiful place. I am deeply loved, I am respected, and most importantly, I am completely at peace. My life is full, and there is absolutely no room left for the shadow you left behind.

​I release the hold that day had on me. I release the sorrow, the anger, and the betrayal. I am cutting the tie to that June day. You are no longer a part of my story, and you have no power here.

Grateful for the Past, Grounded in the Present

To Everyone From the Past,

​I am writing this to consciously and completely release any lingering strings from the smaller, less serious relationships of my past.

​If our paths crossed briefly, if we shared a moment, or if there was any lingering friction left unsaid, I want to leave it all right here. If I ever hurt you, or if you ever hurt me, consider it fully settled. It is all in the past now, and those chapters are closed.

​I am in a truly great place in my life right now, and I know we are all on much better paths. I genuinely wish you all the absolute best in life.

​Gratidão!

​Isabel

Rooted and Reaching

 ​

Dear husband,

​I wanted to take a quiet moment to write this to you, not for any special occasion, but simply to remind you—and myself—of how much you mean to me, and of the incredible life we are building together.

​When I look back at our journey, my heart is so full. July 7, 2018, when our paths first crossed, changed everything. Marrying you on July 16, 2019, was one of the easiest and best decisions of my life. And then came Chloe on May 30, 2020—our universe, who is growing into such an amazing little girl. Even the milestone of buying our home on November 5, 2021, feels like a testament to what we can achieve when we pull together.

​We both work hard, and life has thrown a tremendous amount our way over these past few years. Between the daily responsibilities, work, and raising our daughter, I know it has been a lot for you, and for both of us. Somewhere in the rush of it all, I know we've grown a little apart, and the connection we used to lean on so effortlessly feels a bit harder to reach.

​I want you to know how much I value that we never gave up. We might not always have all the answers or know the exact roadmap back to that effortless rhythm, but the fact that we are trying—that we are committed to growing together—means the world to me.

​Thank you for being my partner, for the life we share, and for every effort you make. I love you, and I am so excited for us to figure this out and find our way back to each other, stronger than before.

​With all my love,

Isabel

Chapters Closed, Paths Forward

 Dear ex husband,

​I am writing this to you simply to clear the air between us and consciously release any lingering energetic strings or unspoken weight from our past.

​When I look back, I can smile at the fact that we first met all those years ago at a friend's house, and how our paths reconnected when we were both single. We shared a chapter of our lives that helped shape who we are today, and we certainly had our share of good moments.

​However, we were growing in completely different directions. While my heart and focus were set on building a great career, you were dedicated to your fitness, your cycling, and your weekend photography. Working opposite shifts meant I spent too many nights alone, carrying the weight of the bills while your money went toward your hobbies. I know you came to realize that later on, and I have let go of any resentment about it.

​I also remember the year 2006—us studying French together, dreaming of moving to Montreal, and the deep disappointment when you decided at the end of the year that you didn't want to go. And on my birthday in 2008, when I took the day off hoping we could spend it together, and you chose to spend three hours at the gym instead. Those moments showed me clearly that our paths needed to part.

​When we separated, it was the right step for us both. I want you to know that when you remarried just six months later, I genuinely wished you well, and I still do.

​I am in a very good place now, and I write this purely to wish you the absolute best in your life, your family, and your journey. May we both move forward completely free of the past.

​Sincerely,

​Isabel

Two Lost Souls

When I started writing this little book, it was a love history, very deep and emotional, full of passion, romance and endless laughs. When it ended, it took a long time until I could accept it and let it go.

Years had past, and I just want to register that it was tough, but I am free!

Chapter I: The Meeting

​February 5, 2001

​It started simply as two paths crossing in time. The world was different then, moving at a different pace, unaware of what was quietly being set into motion. There were no flashing lights or grand proclamations—just an initial introduction, planting a seed that would wait years in the soil before it finally found its season to grow.

​Chapter II: The Long Adjustment

​The Years Between

​Some stories catch fire instantly, but ours took patience. It took time, countless adjustments, and the quiet shaping of two separate lives learning how to lean toward one another. There were hurdles and growing pains, moments of doubt, and the slow realization that building something real requires weathering the friction. We were writing drafts in the margins, figuring out the grammar of us.

​Chapter III: The Click

​December 8, 2008

​And then, everything shifted. After all the waiting and all the adjustments, the gears finally locked into place. The "click" was instantaneous and undeniable—a sudden, overwhelming rush of so much love that it redefined everything that came before it. At least, that is what it felt like.

​Chapter IV: The Inseparable

​From That Day On

​After that day, we became inseparable. We were two lost souls that found so much in each other, turning every tomorrow into a shared destination.

​Chapter V: The Shadow of Insecurity

​A Few Months Later

​For a time, the world was made of that hard-won happiness. But the deepest connections are also the most vulnerable. Just a few months later, insecurity crept in like a shadow, fracturing the peace we had fought so hard to reach. It broke that happiness, cutting deep and hurting in ways that leave a lasting mark, reminding us that even the most profound love can be shaken by human fear.

​Chapter VI: The Light That Remained

​2009 and Beyond

​And yet, despite the pain, that was still the best year of my life. Looking back across the distance of time, I still remember the great moments of 2009—the brilliant snapshot of incredible heights, unforgettable memories, and a love so vivid that even now, the heart reaches back across the years and misses it fiercely.

Chapter VII: The Quiet Aftermath

​The Path Apart and the Peace Found

​I never wanted to let you go, but you changed your path back in the past, and I got destroyed in pieces. For years, it was very hard for me to even think about you; it felt like my heart stopped beating, and the pain was so deep that the tears were constantly coming down.

​Now, I am good. I am safe. I think about you every December 8th, but now with a grateful feeling—because despite all the pain, I am in a great place. I wish you peace.