You’re worth love.
“You need to like yourself,” the counselor said one day.
“If you don’t like yourself, no one else you’ll sway.”
“They can see through the bullshit and tell that you lie.”
“If you want to help others, you must change how you feel inside.”
Her words hit like a sour note within a musical scale.
I felt my stomach grow cold, and the air seemed so stale.
How could I like myself when hatred did consume?
I’d loathed myself entirely since childhood in gloom.
My only purpose in life was to give to the world some hope.
But how could I give hope when inside I did continually mope.
Often wanting to die because of the hatred of myself I felt.
It stems from years of abuse and the hand that life has dealt.
Healing comes real slowly as I learn to undo the narratives.
The ones played by others that made me not want to live.
The pain that they gave me, I often internalized inside.
But I must learn to rewrite the script because to me they lied.
I am not a bad person, though I am often misunderstood.
But as long as I know myself, and recognize I am mostly good,
I won’t be swayed by others’ opinions though we all make mistakes.
But deep down I know I try my best and life is what you make.
So, when I feel I am a bad person, convinced by those around,
I must take a step back and remind myself what I’ve found.
I’ve found that I am a good person because I’ve tried since I was small,
To live each day with integrity, and with kindness I treat all.
So when the darkness surrounds me, saying I’m worth dirt,
I must remind myself of the truth, remind me of my worth.
It’s hard work to rewrite the narrative that flows within my mind.
But it gets easier each day by day, sometimes by hour I find.
The darkness comes and goes, but a small little light is lit.
So while in the darkness, in patient silence I sit.
I wait out the storm, counting all my blessings true.
For once I have figured out, what simply I must do.
I must learn to love myself and forgive all my mistakes.
Certainly I’m harder on myself than on others in my place.
So find love for yourself if you struggle with self-worth.
And pass this on to the world, for this freedom many thirst.
(c) 2025 Stephanie Blomquist
