Anonymous

Photography by Jackson Covert

If you’re reading this, know that you are truly loved, no matter what.

I never understood the word “love” prior to coming to college. In my family, love is something you don’t automatically get, but rather it’s something you have to earn. You earn it through good grades, performances, the difficulty of your classes, and so on, but never just because. Coming from a family where both parents are eldest siblings, being in the shadow of my older sister was the norm. I knew in the eyes of my parents, I would never be good enough, despite how many honors classes I did, the A’s I earned, or the activities I participated in.

Comparison is all I have ever known. Honestly, though, what is love? A definition of love is “an intense feeling of deep affection,” but what does that really mean? 

Friendship is love. Friends are there for it all: through highs and lows, from laughter to tears. They’re a supportive shoulder and a pair of open arms without judgment. They’re someone who you can dance through a Target with while being able to hear you, and even call you out if you do something stupid. They’re a chosen family that is always there for you, no matter what. 

Self-care is love. Taking time for yourself is showing you that you love and respect yourself. We are all very familiar with some form of burnout: working yourself because you have to in order to complete an assignment, a task, or even a regular chore. Stop for a minute: slow down and take a breath. Nothing is so urgent that you need to ignore your needs or not take time for yourself, despite what some may believe. 

Dreaming is love. In spite of how crazy they may seem, dreams and goals can work to show you what really matters in your life. If you want to go and change the world, that is love: love for yourself, for others, for the world. Dreaming to be able to say something, do something, or just be yourself is love. You love yourself to be able to see your dreams, no matter how unattainable they may seem, as goals to strive for. 

Just being you is love. No matter who you are, where you’ve come from, or what experiences you’ve had, being you is all that matters. To truly be yourself is the biggest form of love that you can show yourself, accepting any perceived flaws as being a part of who you are, rather than defining you. Know that being you is always enough, no matter what anyone else says. 

To me, love is so much more than the dictionary definition. Love is running outside in the spring rain at night with friends; love is driving with the windows down on a summer day; love is more than just a feeling of deep affection, love is what makes us human. Love is not trying to appease the expectations of others, not working yourself to a point of unhealthiness to try and reach a goal. Just know that you are loved. I love you.

Anonymous, Southern Methodist University

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