Black Woman, Begin With You

They taught us to pour and pour and pour.
To give ‘til we vanish.

But Sis, your best love—your warmest care, your fiercest protection, your most nourishing “yes”—was never meant to be an afterthought.

It belongs to you first.
Not last. Not never.
First.

You are the root.
Water yourself.
And watch what rises.

• I give myself the love I once begged others to understand.
  My love is not a reward—it is my birthright.

• I protect my joy like a sacred fire.
  What fuels me is not up for sacrifice.

• I am not selfish for choosing me.
  I am sovereign for returning to myself.

• I am worthy of gentleness, even from my own hands.
  I no longer withhold tenderness from myself.

• Every time I honor my needs, I rewrite the story they tried to write for me.
  This chapter? It belongs to me.