Please make peace with the women you have been. With the ones trying so hard, but without the knowledge, experience, and realizations you have now. The ones doing the best they could, striving to make all the dreams they’ve ever had come true.  Trying so hard, all the time, to improve, to fix all the ways they were broken, to be better. 

Wrap their tender hearts in love.  Those hearts, trying so hard to heal, the ones that don’t know that they’re not broken. The ones that didn’t know she was fighting the wrong battle, that she was never the problem and isn’t now.  The ones who don’t realize there’s an invisible monster (called past trauma) inside of them wreaking havoc on everything they’re trying to create, on everything they’re trying to do.

Forgive them for investing so much energy in bottomless pits that can never be filled, for tolerating so much mistreatment, for allowing any cruel word used against them to land as true.

If they knew then what you know now, they wouldn’t have done any of it either. But they didn’t. 

They are the women you had to be to become the one you are now.  Rather, they are the women you chose to be to become the one you are now. They are the ones you were.   

To become the one who’s realized that she’s everything she’s ever wanted to be, doing everything she’s ever wanted to do.  To become the one who finally comes all the way home to herself, and just plain loves who she is. The one who chooses to leave the cocoon of darkness, and take flight as a vibrant butterfly.

They are the ones who worked with what they had, to give everything in them to everything you’ve always wanted, in your bones.

At no point in any of it were you any less than everything you could be. Yes, you’ve made mistakes. Big ones. And thank you for those. 

How could you possibly have learned so much if you hadn’t made them? How could you possibly be you if you hadn’t been them?  And what else would you want to be than everything you are?

Oh, and please love them too. Don’t just make peace with them. Go further. Love them with all you’ve got. Love them with all you are. 

They were all pointing you here, with every ounce of their soul. You may think you should’ve learned some things faster or better,  or been further along with all of it… But it wasn’t for any lack of trying, it wasn’t for any lack of giving all you’ve got, all along.

Every version of you, every woman you’ve been, has pointed her life at the original and uncluttered dream. Has never done anything halfway in service of everything she’s ever wanted.

They’ve all done enough, been enough.  

And I can see that you’re worn out from all of it. How could you not be? 

And so, relax. 

Relax into the arms of every woman you’ve ever been, who will hold you with the fierceness of their infinite love. They’ve always loved you, because they’ve always been trying to be you. So, as you love them, feel their love in return. It is uncontained, freely given, and infinite. For no reason.