To The Girl In Front Of The Mirror
I hope you like the face you see every morning when you wake up. The body you dwell in, and the way you feel about yourself.
I promise I won’t forget how it felt to wake up feeling like your bones took all the weight of your body. When you have to wear your battery-operated smile just to show people you are okay. I won’t forget how long it took you to be able to open your curtains again and enjoy the sunlight. I promise you I won’t forget the hurt from the betrayal. I promise you I won’t return the pain it caused you; rather, learn from it.
I promise you whenever your anxiety pays you a visit, I will replay the image of the girl who bravely conquered broken halls, and a room full of loud mouths. I will remember how she managed to stand up for herself in front of everyone who hated her, and make a fool of them all.
I hope you appreciate the weariness in your face sometimes. I hope you realise that sometimes it’s a fruit of your labour. See the version of yourself at that moment. Compare how you were months ago to the girl in front of you. I hope then you realise the exhaustion paid off. The hard work is becoming the woman you are right now.
Stronger. Fiercer. Braver.
I hope when you see your reflection in the mirror, you do not highlight your insecurities. I hope you learn to love the freckles on your face, the bags under your eyes, your tiger marks, and the hyper-pigmentation in your skin. I hope you know that all women have this, and it is completely okay. Our insecurities root from what we think is unacceptable. We worry about the things people might judge us for. I hope you realise your imperfections make you who are, and that’s part of what people love about you.
You don’t need to be perfect in order to fit in. You only need to be yourself.
I hope when you look into your eyes, you don’t judge yourself from your past mistakes. I hope you stop blaming yourself for the things you should’ve done but didn’t. Do not be too harsh on yourself. You are an on-going masterpiece. A work in progress. A beautiful mess.
I hope when you stand in front of the mirror, you don’t look for a face that makes people take a second look, or a body other girls would die for. When you stand in front of the mirror, look at that girl you see in front of you. She’s courageous and beautiful. She’s flawed but strong. Look at that girl who smiles at the littlest of things, and how she always finds the beauty in between those. Look at the fire beneath those eyes. How it ignites in doing what she loves. Look at her body. The curves that comfort others. Her arms are home for everyone who seeks one. She, her entirety, like a lighthouse that guides people home.
I hope every time you see that girl in the mirror, you never forget a thing about her. Never forget about the good, the bad, and everything in between. Promise me, never forget her. Never forget about yourself.