Dear Self,

I want to take this time to recognize how hard you’ve been working on your heart and your mental health. Remember the last few years? Remember how awesome they were but also how much your anxiety took over your ability to fully enjoy those things? Remember all those panic attacks and the heaviness? Remember how alone and desperate you felt? Remember all the validation you thought you needed from friends and family who just didn’t know how to give it? Remember just moving through life, going through the motions, with no sense of your purpose?

Well, look at where you are now. Look at how your mindset has changed. Look at how you went from absolutely terrified of being a wife and mom- completely doubting yourself, to totally ready to give all that love in your heart to that sweet girl growing inside you. You should be so proud of yourself for doing all that you could to change your way of thinking all ON YOUR OWN. You should be so happy with your newfound ability to let the small things go. Of course there are still days you struggle, but you work on it every day and that’s more than you can say for yourself before.

Pregnancy has been pretty lonely at times, but you have learned to become your own best friend through it. You have learned to deal with the daily struggles and get past them on your own, whereas before- you would have tried to talk to anyone who would listen and get upset when you didn’t get the validation you craved. You now know that no matter how you are feeling, it’s real and valid, and you don’t need another human being to tell you that. You learned how to validate YOURSELF and that’s pretty awesome.

Be proud of yourself for getting through that season of discomfort in finding yourself. Be proud of yourself for letting go of your 20’s and now being open to your future as a wife, mother and trying to take on a new business venture. You are getting to know this new version of you every day. You’re finding out who you want to be in your life and what you want to give others. You are starting to see yourself clearly for the first time in a long time and let me tell you, that girl… that WOMAN… she’s like, pretty cool. Let’s not lose sight of her ever again.