Dear whoever you are. Dear you, with your hair in a bun, or down natural. Dear you with bags under your eyes from over working yourself. Dear you with deadlines to meet and things to do and people to see. Dear you with a pimple that just won't go away, or love handles that you super seriously do not love. Dear you, who is so imperfectly perfect. I am so happy you are taking the time to read this.

There are some things I'd like to tell you. I know I don't know you, and so you might just brush this off as some cliche 'you're worth it' speech, but I promise it won't be all that cliche (I hope).

Now for the meat of the article (the first two paragraphs were the stuffing and the mashed potatoes, so to speak). You are worth it. You are worth love and compassion. You are worth forehead kisses and flowers and ice cream when you weren't expecting it. You are oh so worth it. You are worth fighting for. Some of you might be shaking your head and thinking about all things that made you unworthy, but you're wrong. No matter what you've done, you are still worth it.

You are strong. Look at how much you've endured. All those things you thought you'd never get through, you got through 'em. Whether it be divorce, rape, being cheated on, abuse, or anything else that wounds the heart, YOU HAVE FOUGHT IT, AND YOU HAVE WON. If nothing else, reflect on those victories.

You WILL overcome future obstacles. You've fought so hard for your life, what a shame it would be for you to throw it away now. Fighters fight. And fighters have a fire within that shines brighter than anything else. Don't let that beautiful fire turn to ash. Shine on, fight on.

Sometimes life will suck. You will want to curl up in your bed and shut out the world. Sometimes you will wonder if it's worth it. I promise you it is. I have survived molestation, the death of a parent, abusive relationships, being cheated on, attempted rape, and a suicide attempt. I wanted to give up. I'm sure some of you want to as well. But don't. Imagine all the sunsets you'd miss. Imagine all the dogs you won't be able to pet. Imagine the laughs you'll never have, the hugs you'd never get, the tears you'd never cry due to rom-com's, the kids and husband/wife you'd never wake up to in the morning. Don't rob yourself of that future. Don't take that away from yourself. You fight on. Be your own hero.

Your life will be beautiful if you want it to be. It will be hard, mark my words. But you can do it. The good days of your life are never numbered, so long as you don't give up.

You are so loved, you are so cared for. I don't know you, but I love you, and I hope you hang on, because the world is beautiful with a soul like you in it.