Self Love Letter

I’ve been pushing myself to enter writing contests this year and I came across one that required participants to write a love letter to themselves. There were several rules including that the letter couldn’t mention anyone else by name and it had to be less than 800 words. Another requirement was the participants had to be a member of the community hosting the contest and it was just enough money for me to change my mind. Fortunately, I only discovered the fee after I had written the piece, so I still get to add it to my portfolio and I like it enough to share.

My Dearest,

It’s me, the one who has been with you through it all. The only one who will be with you until the end. The one who knows everything, the things you share and the things you hide. I know it’s hard to appreciate it all. I know it’s hard to give yourself the love and acceptance that you give to others every day, but take a moment and think about some of the things that I love about you:

I love the way that you connect to your surroundings and feel more present with your hands or whole head out of the car window. I love that you open the windows, rain or shine.

I love the way you keep the promises that you make to yourself. It may take time, but you do what you say you’ll do.

I love the way that the coziness of your warm bed at the end of the day makes you so happy that you can’t help but squeal in excitement.

I love the way you love; fully, passionately, openly, with a smile, with a tear.

I love the joy that shopping brings you, not just because you love new things and feeling pretty, but because you learned to love it alongside the people you love.

I love the way you think about other people and feel compelled to do things for them; to make them happy, to hear their laugh.

I love the color of your eyes and that you’ve embraced them instead of wishing them different.

I love the way you feel when you’re with people. I love the way you’ve learned to be alone.

I love how you love to walk and that something most people don’t enjoy can turn your whole day around.

I love the way music can transport you to another time, a past life, forgotten feelings.

I love that you don’t care what other people may think of you, or maybe you do, but you don’t let it stop you.

I love the way a scent can take you back to your childhood bedroom or walking home in the rain on a spring night.

I love the way that you look up because you know that entire worlds exist above your head.

I love your open mind and empathy.

I love your discipline and determination toward the things you may not always love, but do because you know that they are good for you.

I love the way you see beauty in everything.

I love your appreciation of the simple things; coffee with a joint, a park bench and a book, a good meal with dessert.

I love the way you long to create, mostly for yourself but with the hope that it could touch someone else.

I love your past, I love your future, but most importantly, I love your present.

Love,

You