You're usually the feisty one, you joke about serious things to lessen the blows that you allow. You give all that you have to people because you assume that the way you think is universal-It isn't. People won't always hold the door because you did, they won't always be kind because you were. People can be cruel and insensitive to your feelings and you still unmask yourself. There is beauty in that; there is grace and honor in being able to expose yourself completely. You have crumbled beneath your own feet and struggled to wipe all the tears as quickly as they fall down your cheeks. You exude strength, the power to draw others in, handle your shit despite any obstacle. You just do it because there's no time for slowing down and you wouldn't want to burden others with your issues, but true hearts will know that you are never a burden. They know they can count on you for comfort and reassurance that all will be okay. They flock to your verbal embrace.

This isn't your fault. You are a fixer. You handle people like you would a construction zone. Guard your peers while you work to achieve the final product because you understand the bigger picture, you see capabilities before you see faults. You want- no- you need to be wanted. Loyalty doesn't mean being loyal to ALL, it means being loyal to those who deserve it; to those who would return the favor if needed. You are desired for all that you are. Look at your hands; they have held the weight of the world. Stare into your own eyes that have cried tears of others pain. It's your turn. Draw strength from all that you've done. Doubt your doubts- doubt them like you never doubt others.

Understand this. Read my words like you only hope others will read yours. You are important. Your words are confident, your experiences are lessons, and your brain holds the knowledge that leads to you all that you are. You have to recharge, depend on others too. Makeup can cover the proof but we know it's still there. The lines underneath your tired eyes reflect the nights that you have stayed up caring for someone else on more than one occasion. Support matters, you should never spend nights alone, feeling unheard in a world full of examples of your own support. Relationships go in two directions. Withdrawal your investments into those who never have the time to lend a hand, but always find time to excuse why they can't. If you give away your every resource sooner or later you will turn around and realize that the home that-is-you has no foundation. You handed your walls, your door, your windows away to people whom you thought would only borrow them. It's not stealing if you freely give it up, right? You will be lying in rubble, pieces of a foundation that have beautiful intentions but never met its full potential.

I won't tell you "just stop," you've heard that your whole life, you tell yourself that daily. Your emotions aren't a light switch; you can't dim your caring. You can't wait for the light to die and refuse to replace the bulb. Just hold on. Hold onto that feeling when you do something for you. "No" isn't a bad word, “I need a break" doesn't mean weakness. You help everyone else and you can't expect to be the best version of yourself when you don't slow down. Everything doesn't always have to be okay just because you love them. You work late into the night only to come home and allow the questioning of your own self-worth creep in. Silence the voice from within that says you could've done more. You couldn't have. Don't say it wasn't enough, because it was. Do not reject yourself because you feel as though others will do it first. It's not true. Don't shed tears over issues that aren't in your control. Stop hating your mind for falling for the wrong people and your heart for letting you love them. Don't run, your legs can't handle chasing people anymore, the important ones will go at your pace holding your hand. You are more than someone else's opinion of you. You have great ideas, you are beautiful, you are more than wanted, you have a great sense of judgment, you are courageous and you are enough. Don't you know that by now?

You are someone to everyone. You are a sister, you are a friend, you are a provider and a helpful stranger, but perhaps the most important role you play is to be someone to yourself.