When you stay with yourself for a long time, without fuss and other people's opinions, you begin to notice what you missed before. That real strength is not in just pleasing someone or becoming someone's other half, but in respecting and loving yourself. And not because someone said that it should be so, but because it is honest and real.

I've thought a lot about how our past failures and mistakes leave traces. These scars are sometimes invisible, but they form character and give wisdom. To love after all this means to love without illusions. Not to idealize, not to hide the truth, but to accept everything that is — with all the nuances and imperfections.

Sport has always been for me not just a way to keep my body in shape, but also a kind of therapy. When you run, when you feel your heart pounding and your muscles burning, clarity comes. You understand that fortitude and patience are not empty words. They live in every step, in every effort. And in love, probably, too.

It can be scary to open up, to show your true emotions, your weaknesses. But is it possible to truly love if you are not honest with yourself first? I am learning this — not to hide your feelings, not to pretend, not to be afraid to be vulnerable. This is the very sincerity that is valued most of all.

And yes, sometimes loneliness seems eternal, but in these moments I am not afraid to be with myself. Because I know that only through self-acceptance can you come to something real and bright. And these are not just words, but a deep feeling that comes with experience.

Mari