"I love you for simply being. You don’t have to earn this love."
Written by Dear Black Woman Tahirah
Dear Black Woman,
Thank you. Thank you for everything so far, and for everything to come. I love you for it all. Wait… no. I love you for simply being. You don’t have to earn this love. Don’t let anyone -even yourself- convince you otherwise. To say you are worthy of love is one of those basic truths, like humans breathe oxygen or white supremacy kills.
I know some days you don’t remember you’re worthy. Some days you don’t feel love for yourself. Which is why I’m here to remind you that you are love in action. The way you care for yourself, modeling love for others. The way you love on others, affirming their own self-love.
It’s taken a long time for you to love yourself. So, look at you! Be proud of you! Could you imagine aspiring to thrive when for so long you didn’t even want to survive? It is powerful to love yourself. Say, “I love myself.” Now really say it- without shame, without asterisks. “I love myself.” Listen to the power of those words. Feel the rebellion in them. That is what loving yourself is. It’s telling oppression no, you do not dictate my worth. Staring capitalism right in its face and saying no, my value is NOT in my productivity.
“ I love you for simply being. You don’t have to earn this love. Don’t let anyone -even yourself- convince you otherwise.”
Try to remember- and yes trying is an achievement- that it is powerful to simply be. It is powerful to be the spectrum of you- the changing, living, healing, learning, you. The you that is Black, queer, woman, artist, nerd, mentally disordered, freedom fighter, angry, sad, happy, sexual, tired, skeptical, stubborn, hurt, brave, emotional, loud, quiet- a vast spectrum of identity and expression that you could fill pages trying to capture. All you. All love.
I’m so grateful for you.
Thank you.
THANK YOU.
I love you,
Tahirah