#( i have zero energy left to care about f.eanorian discourse i just write from gal's perspective )

[finarfiniel]

this is more me musing on old posts than a proper headcanon,  but...  even though galadriel was technically fairly old by the time of the darkening of valinor & rebellion of the noldor,  she was comparatively immature  —  i think that if she and celeborn,  for example,  had met while she was still in aman,  the difference between their maturity levels would have been striking.  she grew up in aman,  sheltered from death or conflict  (beyond what occurred among her family.)  even míriels fading happened well before she was born  —  melkor killing finwë was the first time she had ever encountered death in her life.

and that was followed by what she perceived to be a deep betrayal at alqualondë,  when her cousins slaughtered her people and forced her to take up arms in their defense,  against her own family.  but she continued with the host of the noldor,  only for fëanor to betray and leave them  —  either to return to ask forgiveness of the valar,  or to cross the grinding ice that he had deemed impassible.  a crossing that took them years to make.

the point of all this is more or less that galadriel’s maturity  (and wisdom)  has been built through hardship?  finwë’s death and the first kinslaying + the betrayal at losgar were pivotal points in her life and development,  that had a significant impact on her as a person.

she’s a character that we see endure so much loss,  but she grows and thrives despite,  sometimes even because,  of it.