A Letter to the Version of Me Who Was Struggling
Dear Me,
I remember you.
I remember the nights you stayed awake, staring at the ceiling, replaying everything you wished you had done differently. I remember how heavy your chest felt, even on days when nothing particularly bad happened. I remember how tired you were—not just physically, but emotionally, in a way sleep never seemed to fix.
You thought something was wrong with you.
There wasn't.
You Were Doing the Best You Could
You blamed yourself for not being stronger, braver, happier.
But you didn't realize this yet:
surviving is also a skill.
You were navigating uncertainty, fear, and pressure with the tools you had at the time. You showed up every day, even when you felt empty. That mattered more than you knew.
I Wish You Had Been Kinder to Yourself
You were so patient with everyone else.
So forgiving.
So understanding.
But when it came to yourself, you were harsh.
You called yourself weak for feeling too much.
You called yourself behind for not having it all figured out.
You compared your timeline to everyone else's highlights.
If I could sit next to you now, I would tell you this:
Your sensitivity was never a flaw.
Your pace was never wrong.
Your confusion was part of becoming.
The Pain Didn't Mean You Were Failing
You thought struggling meant you were doing life wrong.
It didn't.
It meant you were growing.
Growth doesn't always feel empowering. Sometimes it feels like falling apart quietly while still functioning on the outside. Sometimes it feels like questioning everything you once believed.
That discomfort was not your enemy.
It was your transition.
You Didn't Need All the Answers
You kept searching for certainty.
You wanted to know:
- When things would get better
- If you were making the right choices
- Whether the pain would ever make sense
I wish you had known this sooner:
You don't need clarity to keep going.
You only need enough courage to take the next small step.
One Day, You Will Breathe Easier
I know you couldn't imagine this back then, but one day, the heaviness will soften.
You will laugh without forcing it.
You will rest without guilt.
You will trust yourself more.
Not because life becomes perfect—but because you become stronger, wiser, and gentler with yourself.
Thank You for Not Giving Up
Most of all, I want to say thank you.
Thank you for staying when leaving would have been easier.
Thank you for holding on when hope felt distant.
Thank you for believing—just a little—that something better was possible.
Because of you, I am here.
And because of you, I know this now:
You were never broken.
You were becoming.
With love,
Your future self
✨ 💛