It has always been you
It was you who braved the monsters under your bed when you were five
And you who laid awake at night while everyone else was asleep
And it was you who conquered your fear of the dark
It was you who looked at yourself in the bathroom mirror in your elementary school
While the hallways were quiet and everyone was in class
It was you who sat alone in your room and did your homework
And felt the conflicting, gnawing, and all-encompassing feelings that summed up middle school.
It was you figuring out how to save the world on driveways while stargazing on summer nights
And you in the loneliest moments of your teens
And you when you made that goal and won the game
And it was you sitting home alone every weekend
It was you when you proved them all wrong
It was you on your way to your first day of college
It was you crying in your dorm room but trying to make it look like you weren’t before going to class
And it was you when you didn’t know any of the answers on that test even after studying all night
It was you-
On the day of your first day at your big kid job
When you hung up the phone after that call
When you ran away from the hard things
When that relationship ended
When you got your first kiss
When you watched her go to heaven
When you met your soulmate and your dad walked you down the aisle
It was you-
when you said yes to hard things
On the day that nearly crushed you
When they left and your heart was shattered
When you became a mom
When you were misunderstood
When God answered that prayer
When the most gentle, authentic, and caring soul decided you were worth it
It has always been you
Sure, there may have been people around you
But you are the only one who knows how it felt
It was you in your head
No one else was there
It was you
It was you at the start, it’s you now
And it’ll be you at the end
And that is the only guarantee this life can offer
You have been there for you, and with you, more than anyone else ever has
The most loyal friend you’ll ever know
The hardest person to love, but the one you need to love the most
It has always been you.
Keep showing up for you.
-K