They say self-love is soft, kind, a gentle whisper, a peaceful mind.
But no one speaks of how it burns, how love for self means love that turns –
Turns from hands we once held tightly, turns from voices that once felt warm at night, turns from the easy lies- the ones that beg me to compromise –
Turns from half love, offered like a gift, turns from hands that take but never give.
Self love pulls me from familiar pain, from doors I swore I’d never have to turn my back on. It pulls me from love that bends me at my feet, from words that cut but sound so sweet.
Self love makes me leave the quiet pain, the weight of staying for their sake. From the smiles that mask what’s left unsaid. From nights I cried myself to sleep.
Self love is indeed not just soft, kind, a gentle reminder, a peaceful mind. It is not just light and grace. For I acknowledge that I hold so much hurt in my heart because many times I did not love myself enough to walk away.
Self love is standing firm, it is making space. It is knowing when to turn your back, when to close the door, when to walk alone, when to leave, when to heal and when to build that home by yourself.
Although difficult at times, many times in fact, it is something we all need to master to be able to give love to others, without it consuming us.
One day at a time 