I smile in the mirror and whisper the words to myself, “You’re pretty”

But my reflection says back, “No you’re not.

You’re more than just pretty.

You’re the light of the sun, the twinkle in the stars and the first drop of rain.

You’re the happiest of hellos and the hardest of goodbyes.

You are the words inked in a page and the lyric sung in the open air.

You are as delicate as a purple water lily and as strong as a vine that has been intertwined by millions.

You are the sunrises that shine through the great mountains and the sunsets that bathe the Floridian oceans.

You are the reason why I smile, why I cry, why I laugh and why I shout in anger.

Without you there wouldn’t be me.”

And then my eyes start to flutter open, and my dream starts to disappear

Of the self-love that I’ve been searching for.

Of the love that will make me happy on my own.

Where I’m alone and can still make myself smile.

Where I’m alone and can cry, but not feel as if I’m falling apart inside.

Where I’m alone and I can look at myself in the mirror and call myself pretty.

And as I’m getting up from my bed, I feel it.

I feel my heart beating with pride, and my eyes glisten with hope.

I feel my veins running with love and my bones strengthening with optimism.    

With this power that I’ve been humbly granted with, I’ll be able to conquer all.

I will be able to reach the highest of self esteems and the highest of confidence that’s been ever seen.

With this power there will finally be a me where a me wasn’t present in the past.

The words, “self-love” will be forever embedded in my skin till the day I die and it’ll follow me into the afterlife.

And I’ll be able to tell the tale about a girl who couldn’t love herself, but she soon learned how to fly.