Dear, Younger Self

Dear younger self,

Some time has passed since I last talked about or thought like you

Back then was a time that I had a different view on what was best to do

I didn’t project my true self, the real me

I never gave myself the space to fly high or live free

At the time, I owned a different mindset that attracted fake smiles

Not realizing how dependent I was on a crowd all the while

In the midst of opening up, building relationships with others

I’d forgotten me, the one I’d known, without the mask, without the cover

Something had to change and rightfully so

I knew that it was time to simply let go

I wasn’t me

How could I be?

People created an image of who they thought I should be

Which I had began to see

Fortunately, I was no longer willing to be fed lies

I stopped accepting all the degrees of how they’d criticize

I distanced myself, I broke restraints, I found myself, I grew

I broke away from all the shackles of which I never knew

Days would pass, my heart was heavy and my mood was sour

But with growing pains there comes power

Though it took time for me to see that brighter days were in the making

Those hidden gems were worth the waiting

I used to think that time alone could heal the wounds that I had borne

But now I know of solace; a beauty in my heart that’s brightly worn.

Compared to now, those younger days don’t feel real

Because since then my heart has healed

Choosing myself, and making space,

To walk away and find a place

That has set me free

To truly be me

Is a given

I now know that this was the best decision

Dear younger self, forgive and learn

From all the pain that you have earned

Your strength and resilience has shone bright

As you told your story with so much grace and so much might

From you I have grown and am proud

Of who I’ve become and what I've found

Brighter days are here to stay

And I promise to cherish them in each and every way

P.S. Younger self, I'm proud of you