To The Girl Whose Heart Is Too Big, Save Some Love For Yourself

You are the girl who everyone turns to.

For advice. For support. For words of encouragement. For a shoulder to cry on.

You are the one who is always there because you never say no.

You know what it is like to feel pain; to feel as if life has no true purpose and that we are all here for just a short period of time and that death is inevitable. You know what it is like to feel so overwhelmed by your emotions that you wish your brain just had a mute button or that you could just pause your life for a few moments.

You know what it is like to feel loss so great that you cannot help but think about it.

Every.

Single.

Day.

You also know what it is like to feel loved.

To feel as though you are not alone on this massive ball spinning in the middle of space. You know what it is like to feel so supported that you sometimes cry a little bit because you do not know how you became so blessed.

You know love.

And this all leads to why you give and give and give and give so much love because life can hurt and it can be painful and you never want anyone to feel as though they are alone. So, whenever someone comes to asking for advice or support or words of encouragement or a should to cry on, you are there.

You are always there.

You are there when they need you to drop everything to be there for them. You are there when they need to vent about the same thing for the fourth, seventh, or even eleventh time. And you tell yourself that you do not mind; that someday they will get better and it will get better. However, deep down you know that being there for them is hurting you. Deep down you know that spreading yourself so thin and giving all of your love to others is hurting your own mental health.

I know that this is how you feel because I am that girl.

I am that girl who has lost loved ones and has worked years to improve her own mental health and is blessed to be surrounded by so much love. And, because of that, I take all of the love in my own heart and package it up, put a stamp on it, and ship it away to others without thinking that maybe I could use a little bit of that love myself.

I am not saying it is bad to be there for others.

Your giant heart and caring nature is a beautiful thing that this world could use more of. However, sometimes it is OK to be selfish and to preserve that extra love in your heart for yourself. It is OK to say that you cannot talk right now or that you are not free to hang out.

It is OK to say no.

You do not deserve to feel like a balloon at a birthday party that people keep sucking the last drops of helium out of — deflated. You deserve to feel love from others but, more importantly, from yourself.