I've come a long way since I first started this journey. It feels surreal to look back at the girl who was afraid to love, the one who hid herself from the world because she thought she wasn't "normal." Now, I see her as a stranger - someone I barely recognize, and yet, someone I'm grateful for. She was me, but she wasn't all of me. And I've finally learned to embrace the fullness of who I am, beyond fear, beyond expectation, beyond the need for validation.
Today, I don't have all the answers, and I don't know what the future holds, but I do know one thing: I am enough. For so long, I sought approval from the people around me, afraid to step into my own light. But now, I realize that the only approval I need is my own. The only love I need to seek is the love I have for myself.
There's peace in knowing who I am, and more importantly, there's power in loving who I love. I've built a life with someone who sees me for all that I am, someone who doesn't just accept me but celebrates me. And in her, I found a love that is kind, that is patient, and that is real. It's not perfect, but it's ours. And that's what matters.
As I look to the future, I carry with me the lessons I've learned: that love doesn't fit into neat boxes, that family is not always blood, and that the most important relationship I'll ever have is the one I have with myself. I no longer need to hide. I no longer need to apologize for who I am. I'm no longer waiting for the world to accept me because I've already accepted myself.
This is my truth. And I'm finally living it, proudly and fearlessly.