Dear VOA Family,
For the past month I have been focused on self-love and being intentional about caring for and loving myself. I often beat up on myself and engage in negative self-talk. But last month I made a promise to be kind to me and to work on apologizing to me. This poem by Tahlia Hunter speaks volumes to me!
A meditation moment from Kathy Atkins.
I owe myself an apology
For all the times
I tore myself apart.
When I neglected my own needs
Lowered my standards
Berated myself
And put myself down.
For the self-sabotage
I continually inflicted upon myself
And the times when I apologized
For being who I was
And expressing myself authentically.
And I owe myself
The permission to start anew.
To forgive myself
For the battles I fought
That weren’t mine to fight
For all of the love
That I failed to give myself
And for the times when I failed to realize
That rather than being broken
I was worthy of value, respect
And beautiful, brilliant things in life
And that how I treated myself
Dictated how others would view me
And in turn, behave toward me
So by showering myself
With love, kindness, forgiveness and respect
In turn, I could pave the way
For others to do the same.
Words by Tahlia Hunter