transformation is a jagged path

The other night when I couldn't sleep, I watched an old film made in the 1950s. It was about the first day of freedom for 3 women who were just released from jail. Each was tempted to fall back into her old habits and poor judgment.

One was seduced by her old boyfriend, a criminal, who tricked her once again into taking part in a robbery. She had been in jail while he remained free because she had decided against implicating him for a previous crime he lured her into. This time, she was able to get away from him and watched him being captured by the police.

Another woman spent all the money she had on jewelry. She then got a man drunk and convinced him to replace the money because she needed it to pay rent. 

The third was tempted to steal flowers as a gift for her daughter but managed to avoid doing so. 

The film was called "Turn the Key Softly." Change takes time and we often make mistakes in the process. Old habits and toxic relationships can be difficult to break. But we should be gentle with ourselves while we're really trying to change. And give ourselves credit for making the effort.