Pinned
(December 26, 2023)
Today, I turn 22.
There is a quiet sort of significance in this number. It does not come with the fanfare of eighteen or twenty-one, nor the looming expectations of thirty. Twenty-two carries something else. An accumulation. It is the echo of every lesson that I have learned so far, every hurt that I have outgrown, every joy I have embraced, and every soul I have been lucky enough to encounter along the way.
I want to take a moment to speak with gratitude.
I've been thinking about this day for a while now. Not because I had planned anything extravagant, but because I've been reflecting on who I've been, who I am, and the path that brought me here. More than anything, I've been thinking about you. My followers. Whether you've been following me since my earliest posts or only recently stumbled into this corner of the internet that I call mine.
Thank you.
What makes being on Tumblr all the worthwhile, what gave it shape and soul, were the people who paused long enough to read, like, reblog, or send very kind words to me in my inbox and messages. That human thread wove itself into something that felt like belonging.
I came here. To post. To write. To connect.
You reminded me that someone was listening.
To all the people who have loved me, thank you. Your kindness has shaped me in ways you may never realize. Whether you have stayed or left, whether we speak daily or on rare occasions, whether you knew me deeply or merely passed through my life, I carry something of you with me. For that, I am grateful.
To all those who challenged me, questioned me, hurt me, or left me behind, thank you all as well. You have taught me resilience, boundaries, and self-worth. You reminded me that I am allowed to grow far beyond what is expected of me.
To my younger self, I forgive you and I thank you. You always did what you could with what you had. You made it here. I promise to keep fighting for your dreams.
To my present self, I am very proud of you. You are always learning, becoming, blooming every day. You are always allowed to rest, to take up space, to love, to desire, to wander, to laugh, and to cry without reason. You are human. That is enough.
To everyone reading this, thank you so very much for your presence, your energy, and your patience. You matter to me more than words can say.
Thank you for seeing me. Thank you for staying. Thank you for being the kind of audience that every person hopes to find.
I do not know what year twenty-two will bring me, but I am going to meet all of it with an open heart. I will keep creating. I will keep loving.
That, I think, is more than enough.
Happy birthday to me.
(November 1, 2024)
