It was a beautiful spring day when I first realized that life wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. My parents had always been loving and supportive, but my grandmother was the one who really showed me the ropes of how to live life to its fullest potential.
She taught me that even in the darkest times, you can still find beauty and meaning within yourself. She said it doesn't matter what others think or say about us - it's our own thoughts and actions that define who we truly are. And I believe she was right.
I've tried my best to follow her advice, but it hasn't always been easy. Some people have seen me in a certain light - one of sadness and despair - while others have looked at me with eyes full of hope and understanding. But no matter what they see or think, I know that deep down inside, there is still beauty to be found within myself.
But life has changed dramatically since my 25th birthday last summer. When my boyfriend suddenly disappeared after a huge fight we had two days earlier, I was left with nothing but questions and an empty apartment. He never returned and eventually his family sent word that he had abandoned us both forever.

After years of putting other people first and living life according to their expectations, it took me some time to realize what it meant to truly love myself. I learned how to be kinder to myself by writing down things I loved about my own body. By doing this exercise daily for 2 months straight every morning