"No amount of success, wealth or acclaim can replace how wonderful it feels to..."

Written by A Dear Black Woman

Love,

I am so grateful for all the amazing ways you've steadily pursued my/our/your goals. Being on the cusp of 30 it can be easy to feel like a failure if you've not checked every single item off your bucket list or been featured on every "30 in their 30's" list known to man. Someone lied to you about what being a successful 20-something-year-old looks like and on top of that, comparison is an easily-accessible poison. And while you could be wallowing in depression that you don't have kids (and everyone else seems to) or that you're not rich enough to buy your grandparents a house (while there are 30 year olds who can) or that you haven't quite kicked gummy bears and French fries out of your adult diet (and your bestie is balls-deep in veganism; you're gracefully navigating unmet goals without self-shaming.

“No amount of success, wealth or acclaim can replace how wonderful it feels to be you, loving you. You, giving yourself grace. You, forgiving yourself. You, looking in the mirror and thinking ‘God thanks for making me so awesome.’”

I love that this year you started a manifestation board to accompany your vision board. It has really made a world of difference. And it's almost full! In July alone you checked 3 things off your bucket list and met several personal/professional goals… Sure it took you 1 extra year to pay off your student loans and 2 extra years to finally do that performance, YOU DID IT!!! And I am extremely proud of you. I think the biggest victory is that you've given yourself grace with the changing timelines. Allowing yourself to flow with the natural order of things has really helped attaining your goals feel FUN. Whereas in your early 20s, you strived so hard, burning yourself out, that when you met your goals you were on to the next without celebrating or acknowledging the progress in your journey. And yes there have been time you've fallen off from your meditation practice, your sleep schedule, your diet, etc… But for the first time in life you are so self-compassionate that the motivation to get back on track is simple.

I want to love you more because you show me so much love and forgiveness and acceptance. No amount of success, wealth or acclaim can replace how wonderful it feels to be you, loving you. You, giving yourself grace. You, forgiving yourself. You, looking in the mirror and thinking "God thanks for making me so awesome." This love thang we got going on is irreplaceable and the achievements, manifested goals and bucket lists check marks are a bonus.

I appreciate you beyond words and I look forward to seeing where our journey takes us next. One thing I know for sure is that when the kids, money and "adult diet" do eventually manifest, you'll be over-ready to receive, enjoy and cherish those additions to your already-wonderful life.

Eternally grateful to experience this lifetime as you,

You ♥️