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 ...

 For years, I lived in the shadow of other women. I would scroll and see a woman with perfect skin, perfect relationship, perfect business, and I would ask myself, "What is wrong with me? Why am I behind?" I compared my body to hers. My healing to hers. My motherhood to hers. My bank account to hers. And every time I compared, I felt smaller. The truth is, comparison never told me I was inspired. It only told me I was not enough. This is how I finally stopped. 1. I realized I was comparing my real life to her highlight. That woman I envied? I didn't see her crying at 2am. I didn't see her debt. I didn't see her loneliness. I was comparing my full, messy, real life to a 5-second edited photo. It was never a fair comparison. 2. I muted what made me feel small. This was hard. I unfollowed accounts that made me feel like I had to compete. Not because they are bad women – they are beautiful – but because I was not healed enough to watch them without hurting myself. Pro...