If there is one thing I could tell my younger self it would be, is to have standards! Know what you deserve, and have the expectation that your partner SHOULD show up for you. You deserve all the things that should come with a genuine love. A love that isn’t transactional, or dependent purely on what you give. We all deserve healthy communication, and to be heard. Since I can’t tell my younger self that, and I don’t want to because it led me here, I will show my daughter. I will show her to love herself enough to know when to walk away- easier said than done. Trust me, I know! I can’t save her from everything, but I CAN control how I model the first romantic relationship she ever sees. Her father and I. And I will be damned if I don’t show up everyday and be present to the life I’ve always wanted. While also saying it’s ok to bitch about the hard parts! Just because you have a life worth living, doesn’t mean we won’t have bad days. And that it all ok too!