For my entire life, we have had a rocky relationship full of sadness and self hatred. For almost 23 years of my life, you were my worst enemy, the thing that would remind me of everything that I hated about myself, the thing that would show me what I really looked like. The person that I wished that I wasn’t. I hated myself when I looked into you. I would try and smile to ease the pain but it never worked, there was always that air of self loathing in the back of my mind, focusing in on what was wrong with me, the ugly, gross, not attractive in the slightest person staring back at me who would never be loved or cared about by anyone person who would cry about everything that I would see in you. I tried to avoid you at all costs but it never worked because you were always there to haunt and remind me of everything that I hated about myself. Up until this year, I have despised you. It took me a long time to realize that you are not my enemy but my friend. You bring out the best in me, you show me my best features and help me to zero in on them. I can smile now when I see the person that is staring back at me and not be thinking those horrible thoughts that were once rolling through my mind. I am sorry for thinking that you were the problem. I am sorry for avoiding you in bathrooms, my room, fitting rooms and anywhere else that you might have appeared. I was just so ashamed of what I really looked like and it was easier for me to not face it and just to avoid it all together. I am in a better place now and I have more love for myself. I appreciate you more now because you show me how far I have come with my weight loss, how good I look in my clothes and just how much happier I am now. Thank you for showing me all of the good parts of myself and of my life. Looking into you is now the best part of my day and one of my favorite things to do. I love you for making me feel so good and for making me see just how pretty I am.

Thank you.