A Love Letter To Us

First, I owe you an apology.

For the years I dimmed your light,

for the times I caged you in so you would be

easier to swallow,

more digestible to others.

I am sorry for the silence I forced upon you—

the pretending,

the shrinking,

the erosion.

You deserved to be celebrated,

not contained.

And yet, even through all of that,

you have never stopped astounding me.

You have carried yourself with grace,

with a heart that refused to harden,

no matter how often the world tried.

The monster you once feared was never you at all.

What lived beneath your skin

was not destruction, but fire—

a passionate, giving, tender flame

that has only grown brighter with time.

You have loved with a ferocity that heals.

you have risen as a leader—

intelligent, magnetic, unshakable.

you are a force that storms cannot break.

Though you have been bent,

though others tore pieces from your heart,

you pieced yourself back together,

becoming not just whole,

but luminous.

Your life has inspired others to rise,

to soften,

to believe again.

Because of you, hearts have healed.

Because of you, people feel seen,

cherished, and safe.

More than you can ever imagine,

you are admired.

You are loved.

You are worthy.

You are resilience in motion,

strength made tender,

love made real.

Even when you grew weary of carrying it all,

you did not let go of the light.

You held it.

You are it.

And I love you.

Every version you have been,

every fragment that brought you here,

and every future self still waiting to bloom—

I honor them all.

It is the greatest privilege to walk beside you,

to witness your becoming,

to call you mine.

So today,

and every day after this,

I will love you openly.

I will speak your name with pride.

And I will remind you,

again and again,

that you are not only enough—

you are extraordinary,

and the world needs you in it.