You don’t have to always be strong. You don’t have to smile while your heart and soul are breaking. You don’t have to constantly prove how brave you are. We already know. You’ve shown us time and again.

Now, it’s okay to be vulnerable. It’s more than okay to cry, to feel lost, to feel alone. Because even though you’re not those things, you still feel like it sometimes. A lot of sometimes. We feel it, too, and we’ll understand if you show us that lost little girl who’s hiding inside you. We won’t stop loving you simply because you’re feeling afraid. On the contrary – we’ll realize that we need to be better about showing you just how deeply we care. We’ll hug you more often, and we won’t be so easily deceived by that shimmering smile that is meant to distract for all your suffering.

We tell you constantly how we admire your strength, because it’s true. What we didn’t realize is just how much those words hurt you and scare you. We’ve unintentionally conditioned you to hide your sorrow, your loneliness, and for that we’re sorry. We weren’t aware that our admiration makes you feel that you have to be strong 100% of the time. Because you don’t. You’re allowed to let your true emotions show. You’re allowed to break down, to loosen your grip on your fierce independence and unwavering bravery.

You’re allowed to let go. Let go and cry, Sister.

We get it. We really do. Maybe not completely, but we’ll try to understand. We’ll be here for you. We know you have a hard time trusting because you’ve been let down so many times, but you can tell us how alone you feel. You can tell us how broken your heart is, and how you feel so unlovable. And even though we’ll want to tell you that you’re wrong to feel that way, we won’t. We’ll listen, and let you get it all out. Because your feelings are valid. You are allowed to feel all those terrible and sickening feelings that make you so sad while hiding behind portrayed happiness. You don’t have to lie to us. We’ll listen quietly while you let your tears fall and purge those black emotions of loneliness.

Because though you may feel it so desperately, you are not alone. You are worthy of lasting love. You deserve a home where you can finally hang your clothes in a closet and leave them there for more than just a few months. You deserve it all; everything you secretly dream of.

It’s okay to let go. Let go and cry, Sister.

We’ll be here to listen to you and sit with you. And we will admire you that much more for being strong enough to show vulnerability.