Tears, Triumph, and Gratitude

There are days in life when the smallest step forward feels like the biggest victory. Today was one of those days for me. I set out to accomplish something that I honestly wasn’t sure I was ready for. It was a goal I carried in my heart for a long time, but I didn’t know when the right moment would come. For weeks, maybe even months, I kept asking myself, When will I be strong enough to take this step? This morning, though, I heard a different voice inside me, one that said, “Why not now? Why not today? You don’t have to do it all at once. You can start small. You can take one step, and that step will show you how far you’ve come and what you still need to work on. So I did. I decided not to wait for the perfect moment, not to wait until I felt 100% ready—because maybe that day never comes. Instead, I pushed myself just to begin. And to my surprise, I accomplished the goal that had been weighing so heavily on my heart.

When it was done, I burst into tears. At first, the tears felt strange, almost confusing. They weren’t just happy tears; they carried a mix of emotions—relief, pride, frustration, and even a little sadness. I realized that part of me was mourning the fact that this used to come so easily. There was a time in my life when this wouldn’t have been a challenge, when I didn’t have to fight so hard for it. And that stung, but here’s the truth I’m learning: growth doesn’t always look like it used to. Sometimes success comes with a few cracks, and that doesn’t make it any less powerful. Those cracks tell the story of the struggle, the effort, and the resilience it took to get here.

I won’t lie and say I feel 100% healed or that I have it all figured out. The truth is, I don’t. I know I still need work. I know there are still challenges ahead. But today proved something important to me—that progress is possible, even when it feels slow, even when it feels heavy, even when the tears blur your vision. I also can’t ignore the role faith played in this. As I pushed myself to keep going, I felt a strength that wasn’t only my own. I honestly believe God walked with me today. I believe He took me by the hand and reminded me that I am not alone in this journey. That gave me the courage to finish what I started, and for that, I am forever thankful. When I think about this moment, I realize how often we dismiss the small victories. We wait for the “big” milestones—the dream job, the weight loss, the diploma, the perfect relationship—before we allow ourselves to feel proud. But what about the moments in between? What about the days when we simply push through fear, doubt, or exhaustion to take one step forward? Aren’t those victories, too?

The truth is, those small wins matter more than we realize. They are the building blocks of the bigger picture. Without them, the milestones we dream of may never come. And when we ignore them, we rob ourselves of the motivation and confidence we need to keep going. So today, I choose to celebrate. I choose to honor the fact that I did something I wasn’t sure I could do. I choose to be proud of myself, even while admitting that I’m still a work in progress.

If you’re reading this and you’re holding onto a goal that feels out of reach, I want to remind you: you don’t have to wait for the perfect time. You don’t have to have it all together. Start small. Start with what you can do today. Even if it brings tears, even if it’s harder than it used to be, it’s still worth it. Every step forward is a success, and when you do take that step, don’t forget to pause and give yourself credit. Celebrate the progress, no matter how imperfect it feels. Thank God, thank yourself, and let that gratitude fuel the next step. Today, my victory wasn’t about perfection. It was about courage. It was about faith. It was about choosing to move forward despite my doubts. And in that choice, I found something worth celebrating. So yes, I cried today. But those tears were a mix of love, relief, and pride. And when I wiped them away, what remained was gratitude. Gratitude for the journey, gratitude for the progress, and gratitude for the strength to keep going, because at the end of the day, success isn’t about doing it all at once. It’s about starting, continuing, and never forgetting to be proud of yourself along the way.