What I Want for You

What I want for you may be entirely different from what you want for yourself. You can disregard anything that's not helpful here, especially given that I can’t actually give you these things. When we’re hurting or struggling, it can be reassuring to know that someone else truly, deeply wants good things for us. I thought I’d take a moment to let you know some of the things that I want for you. If it’s helpful, please take this with you:

I want you to feel securely connected and protected. To be part of a community of people in safe relationships that celebrate individual strengths and support individual needs. I want you to feel connected even in those moments when no one is physically there with you.

I want you to know that you are loved and you deserve to be. To feel it in your bones. To never question that.

I want you to be secure. To know that you have safe, reliable shelter, and healthy food to eat, and all of your basic needs met.

I want you to have fun. To experience joy in life. To play and laugh and create and discover.

I want you to have curiosity. To want to explore the unknown. To feel interested in and excited about the vast world around you.

I want you to feel accomplished. To know that your triumphs are meaningful, no matter how big or small.

I want you to be courageous.

I want you to feel at home in your body, and to love the body you have as long as you have it.

I want you to have critical thinking skills. To be able to distinguish between fact, fiction, feeling, and opinion. To have access to accurate and relevant information, and to recognize the limits of your knowledge and understanding.

I want you to trust your gut. To have a regulated nervous system that you can and do rely on for guidance, with assurance that you know what is right for you at any given time.

I want you to feel seen and held when you experience pain.

I want you to feel comfortable making mistakes. To feel good about who you are even when something doesn’t go as planned or intended.

I want you to know that you’re here because you’re supposed to be. Your life is meaningful and you matter.

I’m not in a position to give you these things, though I would surely offer them if I could. I do believe there’s power and meaning in the wanting.