Love Between Who I Was and Who I Am

There is a 12-year difference between these two versions of me. I look at myself with love, gentleness, and deep gratitude for all that I have gathered along the way.

This picture conveys exactly what I have gathered over all these years: inner experiences, lessons, and love. My smile is bright because I live an inner happiness built over years.

Between these versions, there is love: the love I offer to my family, the love for everything that surrounds me, but most importantly, the love for myself.

What I have learned in these 12 years: to love unconditionally, to pursue my passions, and to enjoy every day with my husband. To be a good daughter, a good sister, but above all, to be a good person to everyone who spends time with me a kindness that does not drain me, but helps me maintain my balance in this world that requires patience, strength, and growth.

The most important lesson I have learned so far, at the age of 31, is to reinvent myself and to grow a little every day ,even if that means reading a few pages from a forgotten book on the shelf, cooking something new and delicious infused with my love, or writing down my thoughts here, with the hope that one day I will be able to publish my long-dreamed-of book.

This is a letter addressed to my past self, who smiled timidly, and to my present self, who is trying to conquer the world with her gentle, radiant smile. And also for you, who are reading these words: each of us has a journey full of lessons, love, and sadness. My message is to seek love in all versions of yourselves! Only love will open important doors that will lead you to truly see yourselves, full of light and compassion, and to live each day in peace with yourselves and those around you.

My message from my 12-year-ago self is: look at you, how beautifully you have grown. You are the woman I am proud of, the one I always envisioned as my ideal self.

My message from my present self, the 31-year-old woman, is: I am here with you, ready to face everything, because within you lies love the highest frequency of the universe. It will guide you to your own special universe: your long-dreamed-of book, dear people by your side, and the growth that comes from daily habits.

I embrace both versions of myself with love and remain open to another version of me, one that is shaped by the two.

Thank you for reading my thoughts. I would love for you to do a self-reflection on your own version as well.

With love, Adriana!