I AM

♥️

i respect you even when you disrespect me because that is who I AM. 

i honor you even when you dishonor me because that is who I AM. 

i defend you even when you betray me because that is who I AM. 

i protect you even when you neglect me because that is who I AM. 

i choose to see the best of you even when you undervalue me because that is who I AM. 

i forgive you even when you don’t apologize because that is who I AM. 

i pray for you even when you hurt me because that is who I AM. 

i love you even when you don’t love yourself because i see you,

because i have faith in you,

because i am for you, 

and because that is who I AM. 

none of this is weakness. 

none of this is stupidity. 

all of this is unconditional love 

because that is who I AM. 

suitcases and red flag label-makers

♥️

i know a lot of people have questions about love, whether it's a romantic relationship they're in, a relationship they want to be in, their role as a parent or the role of their parents, their family, their friends, etc.
 and i know a lot of people post and repost quotes and memes and dialogue or complain about the seemingly unattainable unconditional love, and some want the world to believe they have it but behind the smiling faces, social media posts, and canned answers about how they're living their best lives, they're actually missing out on it ... and each other.

because how can we expect or hope for someone to love us unconditionally if we show up with a suitcase full of our own conditions?

how can we even say we want or need someone who will put up with us and all our 💩 if we are unwilling to deal with anyone else's 💩?

how can we say we want, hope, or pray for someone who will never leave us and always choose us, if we have dealbreakers, red flag label-makers, or are always ready to unchoose them when their struggles manifest as mistakes that hurt us?

how can we say we want a relationship with an honest man or woman when we hide things from them and refuse to trust them with our truths?

and how can we ask for loyalty when we have one foot out the door that they don't even know is open, or our fingers are doing the walking in and out of other people's texts, DMs, or emails, and spreading our energy all over the place so no one person gets our whole heart ...

may we all remember that in order to be loved the way we truly want to be loved, we must be brave enough to love the way they need to be loved as well as the way we want to be loved.
i promise, it will change your life. and your love.

every single thing

♥️

when you remember the voices that told you your feelings didn’t matter,

or that you were weak, 

or weren’t good enough,

pretty enough,

or talented enough,

and the tears burn your skin before you even realize you are crying,

i hope you let them fall

and take with them the untruths you have been swallowing your whole life.

i hope you cry as much or as often as you need to,

to cleanse your soul

of the lies you were fed.  

i hope you know I am sorry, 

they were wrong about you, 

and every single thing about you matters.  

every single thing about you is enough.  

every single thing about you is on purpose, 

has purpose, 

and is loved,

and always has been.

it’s okay

♥️

it’s okay if you’re sad. 

i still want to spend time with you. 

you don’t have to pretend you’re not sad. 

you don’t have to not cry if suddenly you feel like crying. 

you don’t have to push your feelings down inside you so they don’t show. 

i know they are part of you

and i always want to know them better. 

it’s okay if you’re mad. 

i still want to talk to you and listen to you.

you don’t have to sugar coat the words you need to get out.

you don’t have to say things are okay that aren’t okay.

you don’t have to accept what isn’t acceptable

and keep quiet about it out of fear.

i’m right here, regardless.  

it’s okay if you’re stressed. 

i still want to see you.

you don’t have to carry your worries on your own.

you don’t have to weigh your burdens and your blessings

and be afraid that your stress invalidates your gratitude.

it doesn’t.

you don’t have to doubt your faith, or me, or you.

i believe in you. 

the thing is, it’s okay if you’re not your best all the time.  

i still want to hold your hand and share this life with you

and remind you that my love for you

is never

going anywhere

without you.

the jackpot

♥️

you deserve someone who doesn’t hesitate to choose you - 

on your best days, on your worst days, and on all the days in between. 

someone who learns to love you the way you need to be loved,

not just the way they know how to love. 

someone who thinks you’re amazing just for being who you are,

not because of anything you do.  

someone whose affection and admiration you don’t have to compete for,

 earn,

or fear losing.  

someone who is grateful to have you

and would never consider life with you to be settling 

but rather hitting the jackpot. 

❤️

tomorrow

♥️

Loving you means I will always be trying to get to the root of any issues, 

not so I can judge you, I promise you that.  

But so I can understand you better, 

so I can love you better. 

Loving you means I will remain curious about your past, present, and future ... 

your goals, dreams, and desires; 

I will become a student of your life, not to possess you or suffocate you

but so I can know how to better pray for you. 

It is so I can learn what your needs are

and know what guidance to ask the Universe for, 

so that I can support you in the ways that matter to you.  

Loving you means I will always ask you questions, 

and it is not nosiness or overbearingness in my heart, 

it is because I’m interested in your experiences, feelings, 

your mental, emotional, and spiritual health.  

I might not always tell you that I’m also regularly asking God to bless you 

and asking how I can bless you, each and every day, 

and what I can do,

how I can serve you love,

to help you fulfill your purpose.   

Loving you means I will continually seek our divine connection, 

not to control you or manage you, 

but to make sure you never feel alone, 

lost, 

unimportant, 

undervalued, 

or unloved.   

It means I will not accept a loss of connection 

because you are worth everything 

and there is nothing worth losing you over.  

Loving you means it is my life’s work to love you well, 

and that it is safe to know one another as no one else does, 

so no matter what happens in life, we never have to be 

afraid of our fears, 

lonely in our alone times, 

or forgetful or neglectful of our blessings. 

Loving you is seeing you, 

and praying you will see yourself and love yourself 

as the Spirit and I see you and love you. 

It is believing in you and every ounce of your potential. 

It is knowing that the parts of you which you call flaws

are actually the beauty marks of your soul. 

It is wanting nothing more

than to love you more

tomorrow.  

the place

♥️

everyone deserves a place where they can be their whole and real self:

where they don’t have to put their best foot forward 24/7 in order to be cherished.

where they can be who they are and not who the world tells them to be or just who others want them to be. 

where they are allowed to express their fears as well as their triumphs, without fear of isolation, judgment, rejection, or removal of love. 

where they will be embraced when they’re lonely, reassured when they’re afraid, and helped when they’re struggling. 

where they can speak freely about who they are, 

confess the demons they battle, 

and express disappointment or hurt when they experience it.

everyone deserves a place where they can take comfort in being known fully, 

where insecurities don’t outweigh gifts, 

and mistakes don't overrule blessings.

everyone deserves a place where they trust they will not be given up on, 

walked away from, 

disowned 

or given the silent treatment when they say things that are hard to say ... or hard for others to hear.

everyone deserves a place where they know they can confront their own pain and heal in the safety of belonging, without punishment, ridicule, or penalty.

where they can be fully seen and known, with celebration and applause.

where they can be their best 

and where - when they are less than their best - they are reminded of their goodness and truth

without losing the respect, admiration, value, support, worthiness, friendship, 

or love, 

from another.

p.s. sometimes a place is a person