#DearWorld, I can be loved.

 

Our world leads us into the narrative that if you are not in a relationship by the time you leave high school, you’ve failed.

I had gone through freshman, sophomore and most of junior year in college, never having even held hands with someone, let alone been in a relationship. 

With the words of Taylor Swift songs constantly playing on loop in my head, I so desperately craved to feel that kind of connection with someone. I started to wonder if it was ever going to happen for me, if I was ever going to find someone.

And then I started to wonder-- was there something wrong with me? Was I doing something wrong? Was I not attractive enough? Was I not social enough? I compared myself to the different paths of life the people around me had taken, who were already married or in long-term relationships.

I had my first relationship ever my junior year of college, where I led myself to believe it was something real. I thought it was my fairytale come true, when in actuality it was me projecting my own expectations onto a doomed relationship where I was not valued for the person I was.

But shortly after, I met someone who saw me for who I was. And he did love me. He does love me. And through that relationship, I have grown to realize that all along I deserved to be loved. There was never a point where I *didn’t* deserve to be loved, but it took someone loving me wholeheartedly to know that I was worth it. To see the value in myself.

And if you’re reading this, know that you are worthy of love. No matter what baggage you have, no matter what expectations society puts on you. You can, and will be loved. 

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(Dear World is a storytelling project that connects people through their meaningful stories. They have photographed over 125,000 individuals and I am proud to be one of them. Dear World will be on campus TOMORROW! Come check out the experience stations and get your portrait anytime from 10am-5:00pm at the Culp Ballroom Right and then attend the story celebration event at 6pm. RSVP and learn more here: https://dearworldatetsu.rsvpify.com)