Dear Younger Me,

I know you feel too much and not enough all at once. You think your darkness is a flaw, that your heart is too big for anyone to love, that your face and body will never measure up. I see you looking for validation in the wrong places, seeking love from boys who don’t see you, who only want a version of you that isn’t whole. I know it hurts, and I know it feels like it will never end.

I want you to know: you are enough. Even in your messy, awkward, emotional self, you are enough. You are beautiful, not despite your darkness, but because of it. The depth, the sensitivity, the intensity you feel now, it will become your strength later.

Stop trying to be seen through the eyes of people who don’t care about your soul. Their approval does not define your worth. You don’t need to shrink yourself to fit anyone else’s expectations. You are allowed to take up space, to have your own voice, to want things that are good for you, even if it means saying no.

The pain you feel the jealousy, the insecurity, the shame, it doesn’t define you either. It’s part of your story, but it’s not the whole story. One day, you will look back and see that those experiences were shaping you into someone brave enough to love herself, someone who will attract people who truly see her.

Be gentle with yourself. Cry when you need to, scream when you need to, and write it all down so it doesn’t get trapped inside. Every tear, every heartbreak, every moment of feeling “not enough” is part of the path that leads you to a version of yourself who finally understands her worth.

You will survive this. You will thrive. And you will learn to love yourself so fully that you will no longer need anyone else to tell you that you are beautiful, intelligent, worthy, and whole.

I’m proud of you, even when you can’t see it.

With all my love,

Your 43-Year-Old Self

xoxo

damalia