Looking back, I see her clearly—the girl who didn't know her worth. She navigated the world like a chameleon, altering colors wanting so badly to fit in and belong. Somewhere. Anywhere.
Constantly swayed bad influence and misfit decisions, she wore whichever mask seemed most appealing, most likely to be accepted. Yet, in the silent moments, there was always the question of “who am I really?”
I was that girl. I moved through my younger years as if they were rooms in confusing mansion, each one demanding a different version of myself. None of them, however, had space for the person I was beneath the mask. This endless game was driven by gut wrenching fear—the fear of judgement, of not being enough as I was.
But here’s what they don’t tell you when you’re young and over flowing with the desire to fit in: the masks you wear protects you from immediate pain, but they also smother the very essence of who you are. I didn’t realize it then, but in my eagerness to be everything to everyone, I had no idea who I truly was at the core.
It wasn’t until much later in life that the turning point came. The realization showed up slowly but unmistakably—the secret to life, to being who you truly are, is not about pleasing the crowd. It’s about finding your tribe. Your people. Those rare souls who don’t just tolerate your quirks and and crooked smiles but celebrate them.
Those who love you not in spite of who you are, but because of it.
The highest form of love and acceptance is when someone is genuinely excited for the truest version of you. When they see you—like, really see you—and instead of urging you to hide or change, they embrace all of you. They love you unconditionally and cheer for your successes as if they were their own. Finding such a tribe isn’t just comforting; it’s transformative. It gives you the strength to shed your masks and be profoundly, unapologetically you.
Reflecting on my journey, I understand that the path to self-discovery and true acceptance is not about ignoring vulnerability or avoiding judgement. It’s about embracing these as part of the human experience. We all want for connection, and yet, we fear it because it requires us to be seen, truly seen, by others.
To anyone reading this who sees themselves in the girl I was, know this: your worth is immeasurable, and your truest self, no matter how deeply buried, is worth discovering and celebrating. Start by seeking out those who nurture not just the person you present to the world, but the person you truly are. And in finding them, you may just find yourself.
In this life, we all wear masks at some point. But the bravest thing we can do is to choose to take them off, to step into the light of our authenticity. And maybe, just maybe, that’s where we’ll find what we’ve been searching for all along - the deepest kind of love.
Love you
<3 H
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