Dearest Little Old Me,

Since I know you never heard this as much as you should have, I want you to know that you were enough. You were always enough.

You were enough at 5 years old when you first met your shadow of anxiety.

You were enough at 10 when your body was being ridiculed as it was changing beyond your control.

You were enough at 13 when the world around you was falling apart and nothing made sense.

You were enough at 16 when you started seeking a glimpse of freedom.

You were enough at 18 when you sacrificed your freedom for what you thought was love.

You were enough at 21 when your friends disappeared and you had to find companionship within yourself.

You were enough at 25 when you felt lost and had given up all hope.

I wish more than anything that the version of you I am now could have given you a mere morsel of hope for the future you would someday have because I know there was so many times it seemed as if your whole world was ridden with despair.

I know how long you lived in a world with an overcast, never given a ray of sunshine long enough to make anything of it.

I know the weight you carried as a child and how that heaviness tries to anchor you in the past.

I know that you were not always dealt cards worth playing, seemingly doomed no matter what move you made.

But…

Every move you made with each card you were dealt guided you to me, who you are now.

You have realized that anxiety does not hold you back unless you allow it to.

You now can seek the validation you need within yourself and do not question if you are worthy.

You now understand your body is capable of incredible things.

You no longer sacrifice freedom for love because the love of your life has gifted you with the freedom to be yourself, unapologetically.

You now see that being your own friend is an advantage and not pitiful.

And you are now able to uncover fragments of hope, even in the darkest of days.

While I hope in reading this you’ve found some comfort, the most important thing you must understand is this:

You were always enough on your own.

You never needed to be any more than what you already were, what you wanted to be.

You were and will always be more than enough.

Please remember that.

Love, Yourself.