Dear friends,

The feeling of brokenheartedness is the worst-I'm talking the absolute pits. Even I, who write to you with no experience in the feeling can tell that your pain and confusion is poignant, fresh, an invisible wound festering beneath the surface. Whether your rug was pulled out from beneath you mercilessly and without warning or if roads have been turbulent for quite some time now, the feeling is all the same. And you have every right to feel with the utmost of your being- angry, confused, and sad beyond words for a love that once could have built castles.

You feel hopeless, alone, and as small as a bee in this big, bad world-yet I want to remind you that you are in great company. There are people around you every day who have faced this very battle before, braved the storm, and came out stronger on the other side. You are also surrounded by the unconditional love of the friendships you possess, and to have such a love is truly a great wonder of the world. And once you find refuge in their acceptance and care, look inside and search for these qualities within yourself as well. Though what I say next may sound cheesy and as if Pinterest itself were writing this now, you are your biggest champion. Fight for yourself. You can't expect others to pick up your pieces.

That is a job for you and you alone. It's time to start your business of piecing-your-heart-back-together. And guess what? You're self-employed. Sure, you can have employees to support you along the way, with your family and friends taking all of those jobs off the market-but you are your own boss. Only you know what is within your heart and only you can heal it back up. And I, for one, have faith that you can do it-wonderfully well, too. Because you are the perfect you-the only you-and you are capable of the most incredible things. One of these amazing capabilities is the gift of love. You are both a receiver and a giver of the most precious gift known to mankind apart from life itself and you are therefore lucky. You can give your incredible love freely, to all or none! I hope that you choose the former, for a life without love is a long and lonely road.

Though choosing to love makes you vulnerable, it also makes you human, and beautifully so. Humanity is something we all need a little more of, but with love, we find ourselves on a walk in the right direction. Being human is often thought of as a weakness, as the saying goes, "I am only human" is mostly used in wake of our mistakes. I believe that to be human is actually our greatest strength, and the choice to give out your love-even lost or unrequited- is never a mistake. You will come out on the other side, small at first, but mighty and full to the brim with love and a glowing humanity.

You are an astounding creation and I ask you to believe in yourself the way those around you do. Be a firecracker in a world full of pop-its, or those little pellets that grow into snakes when you light them. But first of all, be yourself- a human learning how to live the life they've imagined on this crazy, wild earth, even if you find yourself with a broken heart every once in a while. Though you may feel weak, you are the pinnacle of human strength and emotion. Of humanity. And I don't know about you, but I think that's a wonderful thing to be.

Sincerely, Gracie