Embracing Myself

Once, I thought saying yes was right,

Putting others first, day and night,

My needs, desires, and wants, I hid,

Believing it was how love was bid.

For years, I followed what they said,

Family first, it was widely spread,

But as time passed, I began to see,

A new perspective came to me.

Family's not just flesh and blood,

It's those who stand with you through flood,

Those who cheer your triumphs bright,

And stay with you through darkest night.

I've read, I've thought, I've learned to see,

My own worth and priority,

To help others, yet still stand tall,

With boundaries, I will not fall.

I matter most, and that's okay,

To care for myself, lead my own way,

For if I neglect my own needs,

No one else will plant those seeds.

I love my daughters, that is true,

And others too, who my heart pursue,

But I am the core, the center, the key,

To my own happiness and destiny.

Gone are the days of catering to fools,

I'll no longer be bound by their rules,

A new chapter begins, a new start,

With myself, I'll never part.

So like it or not, I now proclaim,

No more living by a fool's name,

I prioritize myself, you see,

In this new chapter, I'll thrive and be free!