I was on a road trip with my long-term boyfriend, but we had been arguing for miles. When I asked him to stop so I could use a restroom, he ignored me and kept driving. With every mile, I became more frustrated and hurt, until I finally saw a Denny’s and firmly told him to take the next exit.

He pulled into the parking lot, and I immediately got out and headed for the restroom. Once inside the stall, all the anger and exhaustion caught up with me, and I started to cry. I felt overwhelmed by the argument, by being ignored, and perhaps by how long I had been accepting things that made me feel small.

After a few minutes, I came out of the stall and walked over to the sink to wash my hands. Then I looked up at the mirror—and froze. Stuck beside the mirror was a small Post-it note with just four words: “Love yourself!”

I stood there staring at it through my tears. It felt strangely personal, as if someone had written those words specifically for me at exactly the moment I needed them. I don’t know who left that note or why, but I walked back outside seeing my relationship differently. Sometimes a tiny message from a complete stranger can remind you of something you’ve forgotten: you deserve to treat yourself with the same care and respect you keep giving everyone else.