Mirror, Mirror: The Unveiling of Self

“I didn’t lose myself—I paused her. And now, I’m calling her back.” —Elowen

At 32, I stood before the mirror—
not to fix, not to critique,
but to finally see.

The eyes staring back weren’t strangers,
but they weren’t quite mine either.
I asked myself:
When did I drift? Who did I become? And why?

The answer was quiet but clear:
I had shaped myself to survive.
Not out of weakness, but out of weariness.
I softened my edges to avoid the fight.
I dimmed my light to keep the peace.

But no one stole me.
I gave myself away—bit by bit—
in the name of belonging.

And now? I want her back.
Not the girl I was, but the woman I paused.
The one who knows her own name
and says it without apology.

This isn’t regret—it’s reunion.
I’m not ashamed of the shape I took to survive.
But I’m ready to reshape myself for joy.

This is the journey:
Not a return to what was,
but a becoming of what’s always been waiting.

Some will stay paused forever.
Others, like me, will press play—
and walk forward with a mirror in one hand
and mercy in the other.

Yes, it’s daunting.
But the destination?
It feels like home.

@notesformysoulmate

This piece is protected—not to guard the past, but to honor the one who chose to return to herself.
Elowen stands here now—unmasked, unpaused, and wholly hers.
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