Healing in Progress #1: Healing Is Not Linear

 

Healing is not always beautiful.

Sometimes healing looks like resting when guilt tells you to keep going.

Sometimes it looks like saying no when you’ve spent your whole life saying yes.

Sometimes it’s simply learning how to be kind to yourself again.

This is not a story of perfection.

This is a story of progress.

When Healing Feels Like It’s Going Backward

Woobin feels okay.

Everything in his life seems to be moving forward.

He has a beautiful wife, a growing company he manages with pride, and two children who look up to him.

From the outside, his life looks full.

Successful. Stable. Complete.

But then, suddenly, the heaviness returns.

Not loud.

Not dramatic.

Just a quiet weight in his chest that makes everything feel slower.

“I thought I was getting better,” he thinks.

The Myth of “Getting Better”

For a long time, Woobin believed healing was supposed to move in a straight line:

bad days turning into good days,

sadness fading into happiness,

pain disappearing forever.

That’s what society expects.

When someone starts smiling again,

returns to work,

or looks “normal,”

the world assumes the struggle is over.

Progress gets confused with happiness.

Stability gets mistaken for healing.

But healing doesn’t work that way.

Healing Has Ups and Downs

Some days, Woobin wakes up feeling light.

He laughs easily.

He feels present with his family.

He believes he’s moving forward.

And then, without warning, the heaviness returns.

Not because he failed.

Not because he went backward.

But because healing has ups and downs.

Growth is not a straight road.

It’s a path filled with pauses, detours, and quiet moments of doubt.

Woobin isn’t broken for feeling heavy again.

He isn’t weak for needing more time.

He isn’t failing at healing.

He is simply human.

And healing is not a destination.

It is a process.

What Healing Actually Looks Like

Some days, Woobin smiles because of his family.

Seri excitedly shares good news about work and their children.

“Darling, today Wangja scored 80 in math.”

“Inhwa’s sales exceeded our target, and JjangIn landed a huge e-commerce deal.”

Those days feel warm and hopeful.

Other days feel heavy.

“Gongju, I told you not to bother your brother!”

He snaps at his seven-year-old daughter.

Almost instantly, guilt crashes in.

Am I a bad parent?

The heaviness returns.

Thankfully, Seri is there—to remind him that mistakes are part of growth, not proof of failure.

The Emotional Frustration of Healing

Sometimes, the hardest part of healing isn’t sadness.

It’s confusion.

Woobin doesn’t understand why the heaviness still shows up when his life is filled with good things.

A loving wife.

Healthy children.

A stable career.

So when his chest tightens for no clear reason, frustration follows.

Why am I still like this?

Shouldn’t I be better by now?

He compares his worst moments to everyone else’s best ones.

Other fathers seem calmer.

Other husbands seem stronger.

Other people seem to move forward without looking back.

Meanwhile, Woobin feels stuck in between—not broken, but not fully at peace.

Some days, he hides exhaustion behind quiet smiles.

Some nights, he lies awake replaying moments he wishes he had handled better.

When the heavy days return, the progress he’s made suddenly feels small.

And that hurts the most.

Not the sadness itself—but the belief that he’s failing at healing.

Healing Isn’t Failure—It’s Care

The truth is gentler than Woobin’s thoughts allow.

Feeling frustrated doesn’t mean he’s going backward.

It means he cares.

It means he’s trying.

It means he’s still growing.

Healing isn’t about never feeling heavy again.

It’s about learning to carry those feelings with kindness.

And Woobin is still learning.

Healing Through Connection

One day, after trusting their children to Seri’s older brother, Woobin and Seri finally have time alone.

“What’s wrong, darling?” Seri asks.

Suddenly, Woobin breaks down.

He cries and tells her everything he’s been holding inside.

Someone once said, “Healing is a journey. And a journey isn’t always straight—there are crossroads, wrong turns, and pauses along the way.”

Seri holds him and reminds him she’s always there.

That’s when Woobin truly understands:

Healing is not linear.

Learning to Be Patient With Yourself

Allowing bad days

When bad days come, Woobin learns to face them without panic.

He talks openly with Seri about his struggles.

Bad days happen—but rainbows often follow the rain.

Speaking kindly to yourself

On hard days, Woobin stands in front of the mirror.

“You’ve done great, Jang Woobin.

You did everything you could today.

You survived today—and you will survive tomorrow.”

Resting without shame

After big projects and major deals, Woobin allows himself to rest.

Even when he stumbles, he reminds himself: I’ve already done my best.

A Message for You

Does Woobin’s story resonate with you—or someone close to you?

You’re not broken.

Bad days and heaviness are normal.

Healing takes time. It’s not magic. It doesn’t happen overnight.

Stumbling doesn’t mean you’re failing.

Taking a wrong turn doesn’t erase your progress.

Healing isn’t about being perfect.

It’s about continuing—even on the hard days.