Look at how far you’ve come. Look at how much you’ve
grown. If I don’t tell you enough that I am proud, I need you
to know that I am. If I don’t tell you enough that I love you,
I need you to know that I do.

You have grown a backbone where your wishbone used to
be. You have learned how to say no, you have learned how
to walk away. Do you remember when they broke you? It
felt like life as you knew it was over. It felt like your rib cage
cracked apart. You have rebuilt yourself; you have stitched
loss into gain, sadness into joy.

But you, the one who has always loved deeply and fiercely,
the one who was always soft; you hardened as you worked
brick by brick to make yourself unbreakable.

You don’t need to be a fortress to be strong. You don’t need
to build walls to keep yourself safe. Open the windows and
let the breeze breathe life into your bones. Go outside, touch
the earth with your bare hands, and remind yourself how it
feels to plant the seeds of love and watch them bloom into
something beautiful. Water those flowers well; your garden
will reawaken in the sun.