What I'd Tell My Younger Self

Sweet little girl,

You don’t need to beg,
You don’t need to chase,
You don’t need to prove,
You don’t need to shrink,
You don’t need to pretend you’re something you’re not,
You don’t need to plead,
You don’t need to stuff your feelings,
You don’t need to gain anyone’s approval,
You don’t need to hide your tears,
You don’t need to clean up other people’s messes,
You don’t need to feel less than,
You don’t need to buy into society’s role for you,
You don’t need to fit in,
You don’t need to look a certain way,
You don’t need to be around people who don’t support you,
You don’t need to pretend you’re not angry,
You don’t need to pretend you’re not hurt,
You don’t need to be polite when you don’t want to,
You don’t need to be around people you don’t feel safe around,
You don’t need to go along with things that don’t feel right,
You don’t need to be liked by everybody,
You don’t need to be silent,
You don’t need to take things that are insulting to your soul,
You don’t need anyone’s opinion of you but your own.