1. You're beautiful when you cry.
2. What are you feeling right now? Stay with it.
3. (a long hug every time a bomb exploded)
4. You do not have to achieve anything for me to love you. I will love you even more when you fail.
5. You are enough.
6. Not all men are like your dad, although you will pick some like him, and then learn to appreciate the good ones.
7. Don't rush in love, you are worthy of it, and only say yes when it feels right.
8. I am sorry I slapped you, humiliated you, and abandoned you. I am suffering myself.
9. You do not need to lose weight to be beautiful.
10. "All that you have is your soul." -- Tracy Chapman
11. Never doubt yourself. Never let any man make you doubt yourself.
12. This is your life and your path, and I will be there to support you when you need me.
And then I learned that I can say and give these exact things to myself, and that love from within is enough. And from that love, I love you, Mama, unconditionally.
A version of this post originally appeared on Medium.