And suddenly, I said, “I love you” while looking in the mirror—and the image in front of me smiled sweetly.
Then a realization hit me. All those times I said “I love you” to people in my past, I had associated it with the feeling of loving someone deeply—and missing them.
What if those “I love yous” were meant to be said to myself?
What if what I’ve been longing for all along was to tell myself that I love me—not because of my appearance, my confidence, or my performance, but because of who I truly am?
The version of me that dances whenever she wants. The version of me that doesn’t care what others think. The version of me that, despite everything I’ve been through, is still capable of loving deeply.
I love her, this version of me that is free, unfiltered, grateful, joyful that still loves to love but now, without abandoning herself.
