“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection”. This quote by Buddha is the first one that pops when you google self love quotes. Take a moment and read it again.

It’s a day before valentine’s and my Instagram feed is flooded with pictures of couples all over. There are millions of articles written about what I should gift my other half and how I should be spending the big day with my lover. But how do I tell them all, my favourite lover is me. It took me 23 long years, to fall in love, with me. With my face. With my body. With my mind. With everything that I am and will be.
It is easy to give yourself in the hands on another human being because it’s easier to blame them when something goes wrong. But trusting your own self with everything? That’s really difficult. To shut people out and be yourself in the room, that’s difficult. To wear your favourite dress, when your bestfriend tells it looks hideous on you, that’s difficult. To be able to study pottery, when your parents want you to be another engineer, that’s difficult. The most difficult form of love- Self-Love.
The day you come to terms with your own self is the day that you will cherish forever.
So today, before anybody else, give yourself a big tight hug. Tighter. Even tighter. Get yourself some flowers, a book, a dress, whatever makes you happy.
Happy Valentine’s day my loves.
Here’s a photo story representing the idea of self love.

A really really special thank you and hug to Aparna Mohindra of Amemoir Photography who made this happen. 
Hope you guys enjoy it.

LOVE.