40

 Hello, Self.

You are 40 years old today. You have lived and loved and breathed and laughed and cried and sung and danced for 40 years on this earth. 

You have not been idle.

I want to tell you that I love you, and I'm proud of you.

You are intelligent and competent and kind and compassionate.

You are quirky and fun and energetic and optimistic.

You have hope.

You haven't always been those things, and you haven't always had those things, but you have worked so very hard to get to where you are now.

You are so very imperfect, and you keep trying anyway.

You are beautiful.

You are worthy.

You are doing really well.

There have been those in the past, and there will undoubtedly be those in the future, who cannot see you, and that's okay. I see you. And He sees you. The most important He that is the relationship you truly need and desire most, that He is the one who will love and cherish you perfectly and unconditionally forever.

Perhaps your other he will complete the triangle someday. But until then, your straight line connection to Him is strong and good and will get you through all you need.

So many people love you. So many people admire you. Work to see yourself the way they do.

I make you some promises in this new season of life. I make you some promises that I pray I will keep:

I promise to take care of you. To feed you well and exercise your body and give you moments of quiet and reflection.

I will take you dancing and give you sunshine and take you to the lakes and rivers and oceans. I will give you opportunities to experience new things and make sure you always have something to look forward to,

and I will listen to you.

I will be patient with you and give you grace and understand you are only one person with two hands, two feet, one heart, one life, and you can't give or do more than that, and I will remember that that's okay. That's wonderful. That's enough.

I will encourage you to explore and create. I will give you permission to be vulnerable. I will maintain healthy boundaries for you.

I will let you feel afraid, and I will help you conquer your fears.

I will be excited for this new season of life and look forward with hope and optimism and renewed energy.

This last 40 years has housed some of your brightest, most glorious joys, and some of your darkest, deepest sorrows. This next 40 years will bring to pass more of the same, 

and you will dance, laugh, cry, and breathe your way through, 

growing and learning and conquering and loving all the while, 

bigger and brighter and happier and stronger than ever before.

I promise.