One day, you’ll give yourself the love you searched so long for - by S.

Essay Title: To My Younger Self 

2^nd Prize – A03

By S., a GE student-inmate from institution TM1

Dear Younger Self, 

I know you feel alone sometimes. You’re carrying a weight that feels impossible for love that seems out of reach. You see others surrounded by warmth and wonder, Why not me? Why doesn’t anyone love me the way I need? But hear me, little one. You were always worth loving. 

I know it’s hard to believe. You’ve been told too often that you weren’t good enough – too quiet, too sensitive, too much. You tried to change yourself, thinking maybe than love would come. But know that you were never the problem. 

You are not a puzzle to fix. The love you needed wasn’t missing because you were broken. Sometimes, the people who were supposed to love you simply didn’t know how. Maybe they couldn’t even love themselves. That doesn’t make it right, but it was never your fault. 

For years, you’ll keep searching. In friendships, in unhealthy habits, in the approval of others. You’ll give too much of yourself, hoping someone will finally say, You matter. 

But one day, you’ll learn: love isn’t something to chase. It’s not something to beg for. You are worthy of love just the way you are. Even when others didn’t show it, it didn’t mean you weren’t deserving. 

Eventually, you’ll understand that the most important love is the love you give yourself. Not from others but within – through the quiet moments, when you choose kindness over criticisim, gentleness over judgement. You’ll see that helaing starts when you stop fighting who you are. 

You may feel angry. You’ll wonder why things were so hard. But hear this: you were never hard to love. You were always deserving. You just had to grow into someone who could see that for himself. 

One day you’ll stop needing validation. You’ll stop proving your love. You’ll begin to love inward and say, I am enough – and believe it. You’ll become the kind of man who smiles at the boy he used to be, proud of how far he’s come. 

And when that love for yourself takes root, the world around you will shift. You’ll attract people who truly see you. You’ll stop settling for less. The hollow relationships will fade, and the right ones will find their way in – reflecting the love you finally found inside. 

You will heal. It won’t happen overnight. But the boy who felt invisible will grow into a man who knows: I was never invisible. I was simply wanting to see myself clearly. 

So dear one, know this: You are enough. You always were. You are worthy of love, kindness, and peace. One day, you’ll give yourself the love you searched so long for – and in that love, you’ll find joy. 

I see you. I see everything you’ve been through. And I’m proud of you. 

Keep going. The love you need is already within you. 

With all my love, 

Your Future Self