I see you.
Not just the version dressed in survival mode all the time but the soul behind the armor-tired aching and doing the very best with what you knew how to do.
You carried so much weight on your shoulders, love
So many expectations that weren’t yours
So many wounds you didn’t know how to name. You smiled through storms, held others up while crumbling inside, and kept moving forward even when you didn’t know why. I want to say thank you so much.
Thank you for being strong when softness felt dangerous and scary at times
Thank you for protecting me in the only ways you knew how to.
You kept us alive, and that matters so much more than you ever gave yourself credit for love. But now, it’s okay to lay that weight down.
You don’t have to hold it all anymore
You don’t have to be everything to everyone.
You don’t have to run from your feelings anymore nor hide them or prove your worth.
I’ve got us now.
I’ll love us through the mess, the growth, the transformation through it all, my love
I forgive you for the mistakes, for the silent nights, and for the times you didn’t know better.
Because now I do
And that’s the gift your struggle gave me: awareness, resilience, and compassion.
You are not forgotten.
You are a sacred part of my story
I carry you with love and not shame.
Thank you for bringing us here
I love you so much, and I’m so proud of you.
With love.
The me who made it possible