I am writing a letter to someone I love. Let me tell you about her.

She is strong. She doesn’t know she is. I keep telling her she is, but she has her doubts. She’s been through a lot. Actually, she still is going through a lot. She has seen her fair share of hard days. She persists. She puts things down at night only to wake up and face them again in the morning. She is brave. 

She has a select few close friends. They surround her with support. She depends on them at times, and they’ve never let her down. I know she is thankful for her friends. She has a growing community of people who love her, pray for her, support her, and are there for her. She sometimes forgets about this community, but I know they are there. I remind her of their love, acceptance and unwavering support. She is blessed. 

She is resilient. She tries over and over again. She thinks she loves too much sometimes. I tell her there is never “too much” love. She wears her heart on her sleeve, and I love that about her. She struggles with anxiety and depression. She has fought hard and learned to manage her anxiety. Despite her depression she is optimistic. She gets triggered by various things. I listen when she is triggered. She always gets up again after a bad day. 

She loves her kids more than anything. She needs time away from her kids. And everything in between. Her children need her more than she knows. She needs them more than they know. I admire the way she loves her kids – unconditionally and for who they are. She advocates all the time for their needs. It is a tiring job, but I know she wouldn’t have it any other way. She is a good mother. 

She has a husband who has stayed by her side through the ups and downs and good and bad days. They are each other’s rock. I know she is thankful for him every day.

She loves her parents. Like every parent-adult child relationship they have their disagreements, but they are always there to support her. She is thankful for them. They help her and her family. I know she does all she can to return the support and take care of them too. 

She is capable of so much. She goes to work. There was a point when she couldn’t work because of her mental health. She’s fought hard to overcome so much. She has an army of supporters behind her that helped her return to work. She is grateful for the ability to work now. She gives her all at work every day. Sometimes she feels on top of it. She knows she is capable of handling it. And then there are days when she doubts herself and her abilities. I tell her to remember the way she felt when she felt on top of it. Sometimes it’s hard for her to remember that feeling. I try to help her find it again. If she only stopped doubting herself she wouldn’t need to remember. She’d know. 

She is me. 

When was the last time you thought of yourself as a friend? The saying goes “we are our own worst enemy” and it’s true. We criticize ourselves harder than we’d ever criticize a friend or loved one. 

Even in their bad moments, you can see the positives in a friend and their situation and help them to see it. 

When was the last time you did that for yourself?