85 Comments
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kir's avatar

i felt every word on this

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Tap Tap Tintype's avatar

You are brilliant.

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Claudia Tolmo's avatar

I can relate. Especially to the self-punishment. There is an amount of surrender and radical acceptance that you need to develop. Let go of ego. I would edit where you refer to a child as “it”. Otherwise, very vulnerable and honest. It takes time and doing hard work for us to get there. Thank you for sharing.

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ems's avatar

"you’re just supposed to be you" perfectly encompasses it!! i loved this post and how it feels like a love letter to yourself as you find out, acknowledge and vow to follow what you are and want to be.

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Mirale the documentarist's avatar

Wow. I saw so much of my personal struggles through you in this article- it felt like I was reading a page out of a journal not my own. But I resonate, in ways you described unimaginably well.

So over trying to justify myself to people who didn't care about the justification to begin with- they only cared about the hurt that is causes me. Over it tbh.

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What Glez should be saying's avatar

This letter is just perfect.

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i was thinking's avatar

ugh, so so good. you're an amazing writer!

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kat's avatar

what a phenomenal read. it was like you perfectly verbalized everything i’ve been dealing with and trying to learn recently. healing piece.

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Hannah Cao's avatar

thank you for saying that <3 and for reading. wishing you the best!

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Paris Godfrey's avatar

ugh absolutely loved. Added to my collection of articles that feel grounding to revisit when things feel shaky. thanks for sharing <3

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Hannah Cao's avatar

thank you for reading :’)

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aquietetime's avatar

So so true

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Ibukunoluwa's avatar

i loved this and will definitely be coming back to this

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Shulammite's avatar

It's those thumbnails that makes me save this for later!

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ange's avatar

This found me when I needed it most. Thank you x

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Hannah Cao's avatar

I’m so glad. I wish I had found a read like this when I needed it :’)

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Carmen Jimenez's avatar

This 🤍

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Syd's avatar

This is by far my favorite Substack I’ve read. I keep coming back to read it again. Keep going Hannah Cao!!

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Hannah Cao's avatar

thank you so much 🫂 that's so sweet of you to say!

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