the female gaze

luminosity; death valley, california

You are allowed to have difficult days without turning them into reasons to hate yourself.

You are allowed to need reassurance more than once.

You are allowed to heal slowly.

You are allowed to outgrow survival habits that once protected you.

You are allowed to take up emotional space.

You are allowed to feel deeply in a world that often rewards numbness.

You are allowed to miss people and still move forward.

You are allowed to be proud of yourself for surviving things nobody fully saw.

You are allowed to stop apologizing for being affected by life.

You are allowed to need softness after years of being strong.

You are allowed to protect your peace without feeling guilty for it.

You are allowed to start over as many times as necessary.

You are allowed to rest even if other people do not understand your exhaustion.

You are allowed to want gentleness, consistency, and emotional safety.

You are allowed to be cared for without earning it through suffering.

You are allowed to struggle and still deserve love.

You are allowed to become someone new without betraying who you used to be.

You are allowed to feel hopeful again, even after difficult years.

You are allowed to stop carrying everything alone.

You are allowed to exist imperfectly.

You are allowed to need time.

You are allowed to recover quietly.

You are allowed to believe that your future may still contain softness you have not experienced yet.

You are allowed to survive.

You are allowed to heal.