i used to wait for a love that would "save" me, but i learned that the most empowering love is the one i've built for myself, the kind that grows in solitude, and also through lessons from people who nourish me, not the ones who hold me back. i've come so far that i've changed from someone who used to settle for love that kept me small into the person i am who chooses what helps me grow. i've moved from "am i enough for them?" to "does the version of me i've worked so hard for deserve this kind of love?" i'm finally letting go of old patterns and choosing to grow into someone who knows her worth. i'm still a work in progress, but now i know what love is supposed to look like. and i hope that one day i'll meet a love that doesn't just love the person i've become, but also the person behind it, the one who kept showing up and learning to stand up for herself, even when it was new and scary.