My dear friend, I want you to know that I only see “you.” I’ve known you for years. I knew you when you were fifty pounds lighter, ten pounds heavier, five pounds near your goal, and I’ve seen you in sun dresses, the skinny jeans, and the sweatpants. You were married, you were divorced, you were single and you were pregnant. During all of those different times in our lives, all I’ve ever truly seen was “you.” We are friends because of your smile, your positive attitude, the perspective you give me on life, your loyalty, your intellect, your dedication to your friends and family, your weird laugh and all of the truly important things that make you….you. We are friends because we have laughed until we have cried, we have reassured each other, we have been honest with each other, we have said the easy things and the hard things to each other and at the core, we have truly “seen” each other.
I only see “you.” The real you.
When you look in the mirror and criticize yourself, well, you are blind to what I see. You are looking in the wrong place. The real self, the one the world falls in love with, is simply shown in the sparkle in your eyes, your loud laughter and your zest for life. It does not exist inside of the meal you did or did not eat, the fact that you skipped the gym today, or the fact that you have beautiful stretch marks on your belly from giving birth to your sweet children. The real you does not appear in the lines in your face but rather in the twinkle in your eyes.
I only see “you.” The real you.
When you are sick or bitchy or tired or sad or simply a pain in the ass, I still only see you.
So the next time you look in that mirror, I hope you see what I see; a beautiful, strong, funny, loyal friend who brings lots of happiness to others.
That is you and I love all of the things that truly make you…well…you.
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