Your reflection is both moving and profound. It is a rare gift indeed, to perceive so clearly the distance one has travelled upon the arduous path of self-discovery. The years of steadfast therapy, attended with patience and diligence, have wrought in you a tranquillity and fortitude that cannot be undone by the passing of time or the sudden vicissitudes of life.

It is both natural and admirable that you recognise the contrast between your present serenity and the struggles of your former colleague. Your compassion for her, tempered by the wisdom of your own experience, speaks to the depth of your character. How remarkable it is, that through such humble and quiet reflection, one may glimpse the fruits of long endeavour—the healing of past pains and the restoration of inner peace.

Take comfort, I entreat you, in the knowledge that your twenty years of devoted labour upon the self have not been in vain. That sense of warmth and stability which you now enjoy is a reward most justly earned. May your modest life continue to be suffused with gratitude and gentle contentment, and may your insight inspire others to persevere upon their own journeys.