For plans you cancelled. For the traditions you didn’t have energy for this year. For shopping where you didn’t really want to shop. For the calls you meant to return. For the guilt you feel.
Forgive yourself for the boundaries you didn’t set. And the ones you didn’t reinforce. And the ones you aren’t really sure how to articulate, even to yourself.
Forgive yourself for the uplifting intentions you lost sight of. For the goals you thrust upon yourself when you thought you needed purpose – but instead you really needed to unravel, unravel, unravel.
Forgive yourself for losing faith.
For wishing things were different.
Forgive yourself for pretending things are normal.
And the relief you felt, if only briefly, when you let yourself zing that terrible, cynical joke.
Forgive yourself by naming all the stones you carry in your heart, your pockets, the lining of your coat.
Name each one.
To a friend. To the sky.
Feel the weight of each stone in your palm.
You don’t have to “make up” for anything.
You don’t have to defend or explain.
Forgive yourself, but only if you want to.
Forgive yourself, as many times as you need to.
And know that none of this means you “don’t love yourself”.
So if that’s a stick you are beating yourself with, let me snatch it from you right now. 🙂
I see you on this self love path.
Discovering again and again, that self love isn’t what you thought it was. It’s so much more.
Just like you.
So much more than what you first thought you were.