You don’t need to be perfect or entirely healed to deserve love and care from others. Genuine growth cannot happen only in isolation: growth and awareness happen with new experiences. Relationships are meant to be mutually healing, caring, and supportive experiences. Don’t shrink back into yourself and promise that you’ll return to the world once you’re more healed or a “better” version of yourself. You deserve to be cared for, loved, and held close RIGHT NOW. Why? Because you’re a human being. You are part of a community and that is the goal of having one: loving you even when it is hard for you to love yourself.