I feel loved
I have struggled with liking, much less loving, myself for my entire life. I have searched for, hoped for, prayed for that magic thing that would change how I felt about myself. That thing isn’t out in the world. That thing is in me. I have noticed that through my practice of mindfulness, of noticing the thoughts, feelings, emotions, physiologic responses of my body to external events, and thereby taking the time to choose how I respond, to choose the words I say to myself, I now see me as this incredible, honest, beautiful woman and mother and lover who can take on the world. And now, now I know that I can. And — the very best, most intensely powerful wonderful thing about me loving me, is that I am open to love from another. I am open to love that adds to me, doesn’t define me, and supports me to do the things I love to do. I am now able to define myself by the love I can create with another, and the me that I am is an equal part of that love. The things that I do to take care of me first, feed that love. I can now see and understand the analogy of a love relationship being a newborn baby. That baby must be cared for, attended to, intentionally thought about, and fed. That knowledge is the greatest gift I have ever received.