STEPH’S

DEAR FUTURE SELF,

MAY YOU ALWAYS REMEMBER THE STRENGTH IT TOOK TO GET HERE. YOU HAVE WALKED THROUGH FIRE, LET GO OF WHAT NO LONGER SERVED YOU, AND LEARNED TO STAND TALL IN YOUR OWN WORTH. EVERY HEARTBREAK TAUGHT YOU TO CHOOSE YOURSELF, AND EVERY STEP FORWARD WAS A TESTAMENT TO YOUR RESOLVE TO LOVE DEEPLY—STARTING WITH YOU.

MUSIC HAS BEEN YOUR SANCTUARY, A VOICE WHEN WORDS FAILED YOU. IT CARRIED YOU THROUGH SORROW AND CELEBRATION, HELPING YOU EXPRESS WHAT COULDN’T BE SPOKEN. THAT RHYTHM STILL RUNS THROUGH YOU, A REMINDER OF HOW YOU FIND BEAUTY IN THE WORST OF DAYS.

LOVE HAS SHOWN YOU ITS MANY FACES—SOME GIVING, SOME TAKING, AND SOME TEACHING YOU TO LET GO. YOU’VE LEARNED THAT PASSION WITHOUT KINDNESS ISN’T ENOUGH, AND THAT WALKING AWAY ISN’T FAILURE—IT’S STRENGTH. YOU STAYED LONG ENOUGH TO LEARN WHAT YOU NEEDED AND LEFT WHEN IT WAS TIME TO HONOR YOURSELF.

YOUR DETERMINATION HAS NEVER BEEN A FLAW. IT’S THE GIFT THAT GROUNDS YOU, THE FIRE THAT KEEPS YOU MOVING FORWARD. YOU KNOW WHAT YOU WANT AND YOU WON’T APOLOGIZE FOR IT. THAT’S NOT STUBBORNNESS—THAT’S SELF-RESPECT.

YOU FOUND HEALING IN SMALL MOMENTS OF CARE, NURTURING LIFE IN YOUR HANDS AND IN YOUR HEART. YOUR GARDEN GREW AS YOU DID, TEACHING YOU TO TRUST THE PROCESS AND TO FIND PEACE IN THE SIMPLE ACT OF GROWING.

NOW, YOU STAND FREER THAN EVER, NO LONGER HELD BACK BY THE PAST OR ONE-SIDED CONNECTIONS. YOU’VE MADE ROOM FOR WHAT MATTERS—PEOPLE WHO SEE YOU AND SPACES THAT CELEBRATE WHO YOU ARE. YOU’VE BECOME THE KIND OF PERSON WHO LOVES WITHOUT LOSING THEMSELVES.

TO THE ONE WHO MAY BE READING THIS BESIDE YOU: HE FOUGHT HARD TO BE READY FOR YOU. HE KNOWS HOW TO LOVE BECAUSE HE LEARNED TO LOVE HIMSELF FIRST.

AND TO YOU, STEPH: YOU ARE WORTHY OF EVERYTHING YOU GIVE. KEEP MOVING FORWARD WITH GRACE AND BELIEVE THAT THE BEST IS YET TO COME.

WITH LOVE AND HOPE,

YOU