Maya K.
If you’re reading this, you’re loved more than you know.
You might not always feel it. Some days, the weight of everything may pull you down, and it can feel like no one sees you or understands your struggles. But, please know that love for you is present, even on the days when it feels invisible. It surrounds you in ways you might overlook: when you’re thought of even when you don’t realize it, when someone speaks highly of you to others, and through small interactions with others.
My self-confidence has never been high. It was easy to be my own worst critic, constantly overanalyzing my hair, body, personality, outfits, and constantly worry about how others perceived me. With the help of friends and family, I started to realize that others see me in a different light, oneI had never given myself the opportunity to see. There’s a quote on the internet that goes something like “Your smile makes someone’s day brighter and someone misses you in class when you’re not around”. I learned that it’s okay if you don’t always feel it but love is always present within us and around us. Sometimes, it’s just hard to notice love when we’re struggling to feel it ourselves.
You are loved, you are valued, and you are wanted more than you realize.
The subtle everyday, oftentimes overlooked, love is a one that roots for you even when you doubt yourself. Even on the days it feels like you’re alone in the world, there are people whose hearts are quietly, deeply tethered to yours.
If this letter reaches you on a day when you’re questioning your worth or your place in the world, take a deep breath. You are enough. You have always been enough. And even if you don’t believe it today, I hope that, little by little, you start to feel the love that surrounds you, in every shape, form, and person.
You are loved beyond measure, more than you can know.
I love you!
With love,
Maya K., Clemson University
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