Sophie Greco
Photography by Greer Diaz
If you’re reading this, give love to yourself.
Throughout my entire childhood, I was extremely happy. I had parents who loved each other and me, triplet siblings with whom I did everything since birth, and great, consistent friends. Life felt secure, joyful, and full of love. However, this sense of stability shattered during my middle school years when family issues suddenly came to the surface. It felt like everything I had experienced—all of my happy memories—was a lie.
As I tried to navigate these new difficulties at home, I was also facing the everyday struggles of adolescence. The combination of family turmoil and teenage angst was overwhelming. My way of coping was to shut down emotionally. I repressed everything that reminded me of the challenges in my personal life. This emotional numbness continued throughout high school.
That repression, however, manifested in negative ways. I began to project my anger and hurt onto the world around me. There were times in high school when I wasn’t kind, and I still carry the weight of those moments. My unresolved pain from home caused me to push hate onto others and distance myself from the world. Things got even worse when I leaned heavily on an unhealthy relationship, becoming dependent on it for any sense of stability. By the time the relationship ended, I was a shell of myself. The saying "hurt people hurt people" was painfully true in my case. I had no idea who I was anymore. I had low self-esteem, strained relationships with my family and friends, and didn’t even realize how lost I had become until I found myself almost entirely alone.
Hitting such a low point, especially during the critical period of freshman year in college, made it easy to dwell in my pain. But little by little, I learned something valuable: the importance of a support system. I began to spread the love I once reserved for a toxic relationship toward the people around me—friends, family, and even myself. By pouring energy into these healthy relationships, I became kinder and more appreciative. I realized that the people you surround yourself with play a big role in shaping who you are.
Equally important, I learned that I matter too. No matter how hard life may get, it’s crucial to give yourself grace, to preserve enough love and energy for yourself.
Sophie G., University of Wisconsin
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