This is another read I discovered early in therapy during my introduction to poetry.

Kim McMillen opens the poetry collection with an honest and open letter that describes her path to reaching self-love at 40 years old.

I enjoy McMillen’s organization the most. Each poem begins with the same phrase, “when I loved myself enough,” and finishes with something that changed as McMillen reached that milestone. One of my favorites is:

“When I loved myself enough / I redefined success and life became simple. Oh, the pleasure in that” (McMillen 9).

I was initially drawn to this book because of its small size but ultimately purchased it because of McMillen’s openness. Her ability to write, to the world, the small and large things that changed in her life as she learned to love herself enough.

Many of us don’t know how to love ourselves privately and in sharing what changed on the outside she motivated me to change on the inside.

Rereading this book now, the poem that resonates with me the most is:

“When I loved myself enough / I learned to meet my own needs and not call it selfish” (McMillen 15).

I can’t say enough how beautifully freeing it is to feel wholly grounded and in love with yourself. May we all reach that point.

I would honestly recommend this book to everyone. Everyone could benefit from self-love. One of my favorite quotes ever is “love is infinite,” and I believe that applies to the self as well.

Thank you for reading,