Why I Don’t ‘Just Let It Go’ — and Why That’s Not a Bad Thing

People love to tell me to “just let it go.”

I smile, nod, and do my best impression of someone who knows how to do that. But here’s the thing - I don’t let things go. Not right away. Not before I’ve made sense of them. And definitely not before I’ve screenshot, timestamped, or mentally filed away the receipts.

Growth doesn’t always look like instant forgiveness. Sometimes it looks like quiet awareness - like saying nothing, reacting to nothing, but remembering everything. (still working on the saying nothing..)

I used to think healing meant deleting the emotional archives. Pretending things didn’t bother me. Smiling through comments that cut a little too close or disrespect that was wrapped in a joke. Honestly? Letting go too quickly is how I kept getting hurt. Or I did not really let it go, and it built up, and I exploded when it was NOT warranted.

I’ve learned that I can be both healed and observant. I can stay calm and still recognize when something’s not okay. I don’t need to explode - I just need to acknowledge what happened, so I don’t gaslight myself later.

What “The Receipts” Really Mean

The receipts aren’t about revenge. They’re about remembering who showed up - and how. They’re how I remind myself that I wasn’t “too sensitive,” “crazy,” or “overthinking.” They’re how I track my growth: fewer arguments, more boundaries. Fewer explanations, more decisions.

I’m not collecting evidence to use against people - I’m collecting evidence to trust myself. I would be lying if I said those receipts didn’t come in handy when I needed to politely check someone’s facts. Use that power wisely.

Peace, Not Forgetfulness

“Letting it go” doesn’t mean pretending it didn’t matter. It means I’ve chosen peace without pretending there was never a problem.

My calm doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten - it means I’ve evolved and filed what happened with the evidence away, so it does not live rent-free in my head.

Because if there’s one thing about me… I always have the receipts. And that’s not bitterness - that’s awareness dressed in boundaries.