To my inner child

[PaperDoll]

To my inner child,

You are safe now.
 
You have imperfections and that is okay. You do not need to be perfect to be accepted by others. Some people may not accept you and that is okay too.
 
You can speak louder if you like but it is also okay if you speak softly. You can express a viewpoint that is different from your parents'. You do not need to feel ashamed of who you are or the way you look.

You never did or could have done anything so bad as a child that you deserved mistreatment. You were not responsible for your parents' happiness.

If you feel sad, it is okay for you to cry. You do not have to hide your tears. You don't need to feel guilty for doing something nice for yourself.

Sometimes you feel angry and this is okay. Feeling anger does not make you a bad person. You don't need to feel ashamed for feeling angry or punish yourself for it. Find healthy ways to release it.

You desperately wanted approval from your parents and nothing you did ever felt "enough". You didn't feel loved for just being who you are.

But you were and are enough and it's sad that your parents could never see that. You don't need to listen to their criticisms. Trust yourself. You are doing just fine.

PaperDoll

[NarcKiddo]

That letter is lovely. I've just read it to little NK.

[Rizzo]

It's beautiful. Thank you for sharing this <3

[woodsgnome]

Good piece, PaperDoll!

We're prone to always have our radar up about what others' say to and about us. Ah, but inside all of us there is this truer voice, but we're often told to distrust its authority. But the risk of not listening to this inner voice can repeatedly inform us of the truth that yes, we're more than okay and deserving of the love so many others -- for whatever reason -- were unable to honour us with.

You said what needs saying and it comes from your best, most honest authority -- your heart.

Thanks so much for sharing this truth, by which we can start and appreciate the journey to healing.