“These scars were no longer symbols of pain but had become vibrant tattoos—a testament to her resilience and the beauty she found within herself.”

“But, in reality, love only emerges from living.”

“She takes a moment to pause and step back, gazing at herself, examining the intricacies of her body, every mole, dimple, and scar…her voice cracks as she mouths, ‘this is a woman.’”

“I was never broken, so there’s nothing to fix.“

“I’ve never really been able to define love or explain love or experience a love that didn’t hurt.”

“Taking that leap to cut my hair showed me more of myself to accept and hold onto rather than want anyone else to do it for me.”

“If I stopped looking for everything I lack, I could allow myself to expand.”

How my family's body-shaming led me to codependency issues and a suicide attempt.

A daughter of immigrants’ changing view on what it means to care for self, especially during times of uncertainty…

“There comes a point when you open your eyes and realize that you are the main character of your story. You realize that you no longer need to succumb to someone else’s narrative, and from there, you begin to live.”

Hip dips galore. Stretchmarks spotlighted. Acne scars untouched. What does it feel like to love myself without inhibition?

“Strengthening my relationship with my hijab was key to fostering a healthy relationship with myself. And by doing so, I learned that being a hijabi is about recognizing the strength it takes to look past the surface to uncover true beauty.”

Self-love is beautiful and I never truly grasped the meaning behind it until two years ago.