I Loved You, But I Lost Myself

When love made me forget who I was, I had to choose myself to find my way back.

Photo by Paola Chaaya on Unsplash

I used to wake up each morning with a heart full of excitement, but now I wake up with a quiet ache, wondering when I stopped feeling like myself.

I used to believe that love was about giving everything you had, but now I understand that love should never come at the cost of losing yourself.

I used to see my world through your eyes, shaping my days around your needs, but now I see how much of myself I abandoned in the process.

I used to silence my own voice to keep the peace, but now I realize that my voice mattered just as much as yours.

I used to mistake your approval for happiness, but now I know that my happiness should never have been dependent on you.

I used to feel safe in your presence, convinced that you were home, but now I see that home was a place I had to build within myself.

I used to believe that love meant sacrifice, but now I understand that love should feel like freedom, not a slow unraveling.

I used to hold on tightly, afraid of what life would be without you, but now I have learned that letting go was the only way to find myself again.

I used to think I couldn’t live without you, but now I am learning to love the person I am becoming without you.

I used to love you, but now — more than anything — I am learning to love myself.