So I wake up in awe of the pile of bundled blankets warming my back, butt, and brittle hands. I try to take a moment to squint at my hands, thinking “These are my hands. I’m alive. I’m healthy.” I carry my sleepy eyes up and off the bed. I take a moment and revel in imagining how sleepy I must look right now. Innocence is so prevalent when one is sleeping. As you wake, it gets worn off and the fruit flies of anger, pride, lust, attachment, and greed awake to greet you. But let’s focus on those sleepy eyes. Let’s love them. There’s this unnecessary stigma around loving yourself too much; that it’ll look like you’re trying to rise above others. You’re not. When you truly love yourself, to the best of your present ability, you are creating more love in the world for everyone else to witness and feed into. It’s only damaging when that love becomes self-importance. So fall in love with yourself every morning. With your big feet or small hands or red hair or infinite freckles. Fall in love with your sleepy eyes and afro.

“Sun, wake up. It’s time for us to love us.”