When

When the world tells you to shrink,

Stretch your arms wide

Speak with the voice that is “Too Much”

You were not made to whisper.

When they tell you love is earned,

Remember you were born worthy.

You owe no one your softness

If they trade it for silence.

When heartbreak tries to name you “broken,”

Gather yourself like pieces of seashells.

You are not ruined you are real.

You can crack in small places and still shine.

When your dreams seem too big to hold,

Let them spill over into oceans of you

Build boats for their edges.

Even if you must sail alone for a while.

Alone is not always lonely

When they twist your kindness into weakness,

Stay kind anyway.

But learn that kindness and boundaries

Are sisters who must walk hand in hand.

When love comes may it meet you whole.

And if it ever asks you to shrink,

To disappear, to soften your no

Let it go.

When you feel empty,

Slow yourself to rest, don’t put on a show

And never forget

There is still fire in your belly,

Even when that light feels low.

When you’re unsure who you are

Look in the mirror, gently.

You are me.

And more than me.

And everything I ever hoped you’d be.