Day 95 blog
- Feb 3
- 2 min read
Today was all about time with my stepdad as we settled into Santa Clara for Super Bowl week. Nothing rushed or overly planned, just the kind of day where you slow down and enjoy being together. We spent time walking around, checking out some of the Super Bowl events, taking in the energy around town, and just soaking up the atmosphere. It’s always fun being here this week, but what I appreciate most is simply getting that one-on-one time with him.
We ended the night with dinner and one of those conversations that starts light and somehow turns into something deeper. The kind where you look up and realize you’ve been talking for hours about life, faith, and everything God has been teaching you lately. Those talks always stay with me.
We found ourselves talking about forgiveness and how it changes as you grow. Not in a dramatic, obvious way, but in the quiet realizations that come when you finally slow down enough to pay attention to your heart. I shared how strange it feels when you recognize that you’ve spent years protecting people who were never really protecting you. How certain conversations leave you drained, or how your body tenses when certain names come up. For a long time, I thought being patient and “grace-filled” meant keeping the door open no matter what and allowing anyone unlimited access to me.
But I’m learning that forgiveness doesn’t mean access. You can forgive someone fully and still choose distance. You can love someone and still admit that the relationship isn’t healthy for you. Forgiveness clears your heart, while boundaries protect your peace, and the two can exist together. God doesn’t ask us to stay where we’re constantly worn down. He asks us to love, forgive, and trust Him enough to walk away when something no longer aligns with who we’re becoming.
I feel lighter these days because of that. Less guilt, less pressure to overextend myself, and more peace. Being here in Santa Clara during such an exciting week, while also having these meaningful, grounding moments with my stepdad, just feels really special. It’s a reminder that life isn’t only about the big events. It’s about the quiet growth happening in between.
Grateful for family, for healing, and for the kind of faith that keeps guiding me forward.
Signed, Paulina.
Having time with your parents or your case you’re stepdad are special, they are the people you can count on the most to just talk about whatever is on your mind. It’s really wonderful you have such a great relationship like this with your Stepdad, that’s something that not everyone can say. When you have the right connections with people in general and you can have easy conversations with them is the best. Things can start off light and easy and then gradually move into serious and deep conversations that are rich and fulfilling. It’s even better when you’re so deep into it that you lose track of time.
Forgiveness is and interesting thing and something I think most…