To My Fellow Women: Please Remember You Are Still Beautiful

As women, we struggle so much with self-esteem.

We want to look perfect all the time and we measure our beauty based on societal expectations of us.

It’s hard enough feeling beautiful on a whole, but what happens when you feel like you are ruined?

When an eating disorder, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, acne scars, depression, bullying, or domestic abuse has now become a part of your story?

Do you now see a beautiful woman when you undress, the naked body staring back at you and a bare face fighting to survive? Do you see her? 

I need you to know that you have and always will be beautiful, my love. 

It doesn’t matter what you have been through and the ruins and destruction you have seen come your way, your beauty is not defined by that.

Wear that dress, those shoes, that bag, and own it.

Makeup or no makeup, you are a queen and you deserve to feel like one as well.

Though you stumble and fall daily, your body and soul falling to the ground, while the dirt beneath you is dry and cold between the palms of your hands, you are still beautiful. 

They tried to take it from you, but you already won.

Your self-esteem has been shot time and time again and you wanted to crack the mirror that gave you back the reflection of a woman of power, strength, and dignity, but still you rise.

It’s not a crime to love yourself and you are not wrong for yearning for it even though pain has invaded your territory. 

Let it in and know that you deserve it. Know that you deserve to love yourself.

You are beautiful, you are strong, and you are a woman to reckon with.

So even though you may sometimes crack under the pressure in a world that constantly feeds you the ridiculous notion that you are not enough, you have and will always be enough.

You are beautiful.