Story Teller

 Dear Me, I know you're tired. Tired of trying, tired of starting over, tired of pretending you're okay when you're not. I want you to know something — I see you. I see how hard you've been trying, even on the days no one noticed. I see the nights you cried in silence because you didn't want to worry anyone. I see the strength it takes to get up when your heart feels heavy. You have been through so much, and yet you are still here. That alone is worth celebrating. I want to say thank you. Thank you for not giving up when things felt impossible. Thank you for loving people who didn't always love you back. Thank you for staying kind in a world that tried to make you bitter. Thank you for choosing to grow, even when growth was painful. You don't need to have everything figured out right now. Life is not a race. Some seasons are for resting, some are for rebuilding, some are for dreaming again. It's okay to pause. It's okay to start small. It's okay ...

  I spent years waiting. Waiting to be chosen by friends. Waiting to be chosen for opportunities. Waiting to be chosen in love. I was always sitting in the waiting room of my own life, hoping someone would open the door and say "We pick you." So I made myself smaller to be more likable. I worked harder to be more noticeable. I waited quietly, hoping my patience would be rewarded. But no one came. Not because I wasn't worthy, but because I was waiting for permission to live my own life. Then one day, I got tired. Tired of waiting. Tired of checking my phone. Tired of wondering why I wasn't chosen. And I asked myself a question that changed everything: What if I choose myself? That day, I stopped waiting. I stopped waiting to be invited and I created my own table. I stopped waiting to be validated and I started validating myself. I stopped waiting for someone to tell me I was enough, and I started acting like I already was. When you stop waiting to be chosen, something ...