"I’ve always loved hard. The bad thing about loving so hard, though, is I always fall hard, too, when things are over. I’ve had a few key relationships that have really done me in when they ended. The problem was in my approach to love. I sometimes give too much of myself to others, leaving too little for me. So, when things end, I can find myself lost, having forgotten the core of who I am, or having given too much of myself away in compromise.
It was in heartbreak that I realized I needed to love myself more. Without love and compassion for ourselves, we are not prepared to love someone else. “Self love fuels all love,” Melody Godfred says. YAS, GIRL.
I’m ecstatic that Melody was able to customize my pinky rings with 18k yellow gold. One features strawberry quartz, while the other features gold rutilated quartz. Unlike diamonds, which are valued for being flawless, quartz are most beautiful when they feature unique inclusions (aka flaws)... like us! My self love is about working on my flaws, yes, but also with recognizing the beauty in them... how they’ve carried me thus far, and the adventures they’ve led me to and through.
What I love most about my Fred & Far experience is that I’ve now joined a self-love community. Self love is no longer a lonely endeavor. It is a movement fueled by impassioned, empowered women who are choosing themselves and doing so daily. With the symbol of a Self Love Pinky Ring, we are committing to be, love, and choose ourselves. And we can find solidarity in that."
Erica Swallow
Connect with Erica on Instagram @ericaswallow and share your own pinky promise story by clicking here.