I do not hate you for the things you did to kill your sadness. For the mouths you kissed, thinking of the life they would breathe into your hollowness, for the opportunities you missed because you felt worthless. I do not hate you for being confused, for running before you knew how to calm the shadows that danced inside of you.

Trust me when I say that I will love you in your humanness. I will love you for your twists, I will love you for your faults. Trust me when I say that I will love it all.

xlvii