There is a fine line between tough and cold, between forgiving and weak. The world sees strength as beautifulโuntil it reaches a certain point. And then too much strength becomes harsh and unapproachable, not โrightโ for a woman. But too delicate, too gentle, means she has no backbone.
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How, then do we win? How do we shed the expectations, the rules, the ways the world has boxed us, told us who to be and how to love? How, then, do we stay true to the feelings on the heart without lying to ourselves, without pretending or shying away or closing our mouths for fear of being โtoo muchโ or โtoo littleโ of something?
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How do we love without fear when weโre a combination of bothโcaring and strong?
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You are a tough woman. Tough, simply because of your female identity. Because that is the skin you were born into, the label youโve self-proclaimed. Because of your steps, your smile, the way you hold your head embodies strength.
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But tough does not mean you keep people at armโs length. Tough does not mean you are selfish. Tough does not mean you are angry, or unwilling to let people in.
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Tough is not synonymous with cold.
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Because even as you are tough, you are equally as loving, equally as selfless, equally as soft.
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You are a caring woman. Caring, simply because you value your relationships and the people you choose to share your heart with. Because you give freely. Because you are open and unafraid to be vulnerable and to put someone elseโs needs before your own.
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But caring does not mean you are foolish. Caring does mean you fall headfirst and allow others to walk all over you, or take advantage of you.
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Caring is not synonymous with clueless.
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Because even as you care too much, you are independent and self-reliant.
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And so you are both. Living in a place of contradiction. Loving from two opposing sides of yourself. Learning how, in a world that tries to tell you the ways you should be, who you are.
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And I hope you realize that you can be just as you are. You donโt have to conform, to hold back, to hide. You donโt have to push your way through, fighting just for your voice to be heard.
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Who you are is valid.
The way you love is pure.
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And spending any more time justifying the person youโve always been, the way youโve chosen to care and whether itโs too much is simply unneeded.
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For you are not a mistake. Quit allowing the world to make you feel as if you are.ย
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