You have given yourself away in love, haven’t you? You’ve put yourself out there, trusted a man’s hands, arms, eyes, legs, heart to catch you, to hold you, to keep you safe.

And he let you down.

It’s frightening, isn’t it? To accept a cruel, cold world without him in it. To see your life stretched out in front of you, open and endless. You’re terrified of beginning again, so scared of giving a piece of yourself away once more, so nervous to relearn someone’s touch, or trust them enough to let them know you. Because what if they betray you like he did? What if they leave?

So you convince yourself you’re better off alone.
But even in your heart you know that’s a lie.

Because you want to love and be loved, you’re just scared.

But I want you to know something about girls like us. We love and we keep on loving. Our hearts are too big to stay still in our chests; they are always reaching, always opening, always letting people in.

And you know something, sweet girl? There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.

We are born to love and be loved. We are born to open our hearts. We are born to reach out to others and connect the fabric of our beings to someone else. We are born to kiss bodies, kiss souls.

So you must never let a broken heart feel irreparable. You must never let the sun set on a day where you feel empty and alone. You must never be too scared to love, and to love again, and to love even after your pain.

Because loving is the strongest thing your little heart can do. And you, sweet girl, are made of strength.

You will get hurt, I can promise you this. That is the unfortunate way of the world, that we are sinful beings who cannot help our ways. But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth it to fall in love.

I can promise you it’s worth it every time.

He may have broken you, but only temporarily. He might have betrayed your trust, but you will believe again. He may have made you terrified to let another man in, but in time, you should. And you will.

Because your heart is too big to be left out on this earth alone.
It’s too big and beautiful to not experience all that this world has to offer.

But promise me one thing as you go on loving and living—that you will protect that beautiful heart of yours. That you will only give it to men who are deserving. That you will let it guide you, but let your mind stay rational and careful, right alongside.

Promise me that you’ll only show your inner self to men you can trust, and that you’ll be selective and smart. Promise me that you’ll never give up on loving, but that you’ll never let someone change who you are or persuade you to feel differently.

You were born with a big heart, with the ability to be vulnerable and true, to be kind and selfless. Never let anyone take that away from you, sweet girl. Always protect yourself as you jump all in.

The world is a scary place, but you don’t have to fear love.

Don’t be afraid of loving how you’ve always loved—so deeply, so fully. But promise that wherever you wander and how much you want to give away pieces of yourself, that you’ll be careful. That you’ll protect that heart. It’s far too precious to lose.