Love Letters to the Love Island Baddies

"I never said I was perfect. I never said I didn't have any flaws, but at least I'm pretty, and at least I'm a little funny, and at least I'm my own best friend" - Amaya Papaya

Buenos dias, baddie!!

As someone who is all about honoring your self-worth and sacredness, I have to say Love Island is breaking my heart.

If you know me, you know reality tv is not usually my cup of tea… but my man loves it, and so here I am, thirty-something episodes deep into this season, and I’m hooked.

Seeing what these beautiful women in the villa are going through, I couldn't help but sit back as I’m drinking my cafecito this morning and think damn… free the baddies for real!

Baddies are so deserving of more than we are given, and this show is putting that on display for the whole world to see.

So it made me think, if I could pull my favorite baddies for a chat (or even better, a cafecito), here is what I would say:

My Queen Baddie, Olandria:

Oh, the woman that you are!!! Your poise, elegance, and directness are incredible to watch. You carry yourself with so much respect and grace.

So, let me put my hand on yours when I say this: it was so heartbreaking to see you begging for someone's love who, so very clearly, was not willing or ready to give it to you.

I completely understand you because I've been there before, and I know that when you commit your heart to someone, it can be difficult to leave, mainly because it took so much vulnerability and openness on your part to get to that point. So when it comes time to let go, I don’t want to undermine how challenging it feels, even when you’re not being treated with the respect and care you deserve.

I admire you for being strong, but I wish softness on you.

As hard as it is, when it comes time to move on because someone isn’t capable of treating you with love and compassion, I want you to remember the people who love and adore you, and most importantly, I want you to remember the love you have for yourself. Use that as your fuel to know and feel confident in walking away the first time.

You are so strong and so powerful, anyone would be lucky to have you by their side. I can't wait for you to start acting like it.

My Sweet Dominican Princess Baddie, Amaya:

No te voy a mentir, mi hermana, I wasn't sure if we were going to get along at first because I'm a very mellow baddie, and so much of your emotions and reactions were a lot for me to take in.

But over time, after getting a chance to know you, I’ve grown to love you so much. You are such a sweet, caring, beautiful person, and I find your authenticity so refreshing.

And yet, most of the people you have opened your heart to throughout this season have turned you away or made you feel ashamed of your much-ness.

And so, this is my advice to you, my dulce Amaya Papaya: allow people to earn you. Allow them to earn the level of sweetness and openness you so kindly offer us. I say this not to limit who you are or put you in a box; instead, I say this to protect you.

As a person who wears their heart on their sleeve, I completely understand you. Trust me! Because, whether platonic or romantic, and even to strangers on the street, I stay ready to give out my love.

But the one thing I’ve learned the hard way is that we need to have boundaries to protect the love we want to give so freely. And it's not to tone down who we are, it's simply to make sure that we give ourselves to the right people—the people that are deserving of our sweetness, our love, and our tenderness.

So when I ask you to take a step back and reel it in juuuust a little bit, I'm not saying this to dim your light. I simply know that the people who are worthy of you will make space for the grandiosa person that you are.

And all I will say is this: the people who are meant for you will welcome you to be all that you are y más.

My Mellow Dutchess Baddie, Chelley:

I can't say that I feel like we've gotten to know each other a lot, but from what I have seen, I can tell that we would be great friends. I appreciate your lightheartedness, your ability to have fun, and to go with the flow.

I have noticed, though, that when things turn sour, your walls go all the way up. And I get it.

I'm an easy-going girl. I love fun, I love being silly, but when someone has hurt my feelings or made me upset, I get super emotional too. And it's hard, once you're at that point, to forgive or look past it because you’ve probably given it so many chances to roll off your back. It takes a lot to hurt the feelings of someone who is so chill and understanding.

And in those moments, Chelley, I encourage you to take some time to sit with how you're feeling, understand exactly what hurt you, and the reasons why you may be internalizing the situation.

It's our responsibility as we're developing our self-awareness to understand where our triggers come from, why certain things feel heavier than others, and where we might be projecting our pain and previous trauma onto the present matter.

This type of reflection is meant to create space for 1) understanding ourselves more deeply and 2) holding the other person accountable for their actions in a way that focuses on their actual wrongdoings rather than the emotions and traumas we may be attributing to the situation.

Once you've mastered this, I believe any challenge or hurtful encounter you experience in the future will have less of a hold on you and your joy, and will allow you to communicate and stand up for yourself with a grace and directness that is reflective of the baddie you are.

---

While I wish I had the opportunity to share these love letters with Olandria, Amaya, and Chelley, I am even happier to share these sentiments with you.

This show has resonated so deeply because I see parts of myself, and the baddies I love, in these women. So, as a call to action for all of us: before we pass judgment on other women, approach them with grace first.

We know too well what it means to have faced hardships and challenges that have shaped the ways in which we act and react.

As we collectively watch and enjoy the absolute mess happening in that villa, remember that these are baddies just like you: flawed and imperfect (which is honestly what makes it great TV, haha!).

Be kind and graceful to them online, and open your arms to the baddies around you who are trying their best, who sometimes just need a little bit of support to put their crowns back on straight.

Deal?

Con cariño y mucho mucho mucho amor,

Coral

P.S. L-O-V-E, Sittin in a tree, Gold chain and black tee—Nicolandria in 3!!! 🙏🏽