By: Kelly Williams

“The time will come when, with elation, you will greet yourself arriving at your own door, in your own mirror, and each will smile at the other’s welcome, and say, sit here. Eat. You will love again the stranger who was yourself. Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart to itself, to the stranger who has loved you all your life; whom you ignored for another, who knows you by heart. Take down the love letters from the bookshelf, the photographs, the desperate notes, peel your own image from the mirror. Sit. Feast on your life.”

– Derek Walcott

I have copied the above poem word for word onto a very large chalkboard that hangs in my kitchen and each time I enter the room I’m reminded to feast on my life. With the passing of Valentine’s Day and the whole notion of giving and getting love – or candy, cards, roses, lingerie – the idea of loving ourselves is more present to me than ever.

So today I proclaim this, “Love Yourself Day.” A time to appreciate and admire your own strength. Do you really know how strong you are? And a time to grant yourself kindness for any of your perceived shortcomings and limitations. So yes,

maybe you’re not perfect and you are working hard each and every day to grow, learn and do/be better.

This is also a day to listen to your body and honor its call for rest, exercise and/or nurturing and a time to listen to your mind and acknowledge the chatter within, choosing to grow those wonderful loving messages you say to yourself (“I can do this!”) and an opportunity to let go of anything else.

When was the last time you paid yourself a compliment? I mean really paid yourself a compliment. Or, bought yourself a card? I went on a search a few weeks back to find the “right card” to send to a friend who is battling cancer. I did not settle on just any card. I waited until I found the one that reminded me of him, of shared memories and that made me smile. What if you went on a search for yourself today? What type of card would you be looking for and why?

So go ahead – celebrate the fact that no one knows you better than yourself. Your deepest desires, the stuff that makes your heart ache, the littlest things that make you, you. Choose to write yourself a love note today. Make it intimate, real, heartfelt. Read it over and over again until the paper gets all crinkly and then tuck it away into a safe spot to savor on future dates.

Not sure what to write? Just trust your heart. Because no one knows you like you. Be kind. Gracious. Love yourself. Dear Kelly…