What I wish I could have told myself at twenty-five:

1. Life is hard – but yours will become infathomably more difficult with time. Don’t let that scare you because you’ll learn a great deal about the nature of love, loss, and relationships.
2. Please don’t take for granted the source of unconditional love waking up next to you every day. He’ll only be around a few more years, so don’t take a single moment for granted.
3. Even when he leaves, you will still be loved and protected.
4. You have no idea how much it will hurt when you lose him.
5. You will be a mother – but not in the way you expect.
6. It is okay to love someone from a distance sometimes. Healthy boundaries are necessary for healthy relationships.
7. Respect yourself and others. Also, expect others to treat you with respect. If they don’t, they are not worthy of your time, talent, or energy.
8. Some bridges need to be burned.
9. Your life will hold more depth of joy and grief than you can possibly imagine.
10. Love is everywhere. You are immersed in it – inhaling it with each breath. It penetrates your every atom, at every moment from the beginning to the end. So when you feel alone and unloved, remember this.