Khloé Kardashian's Essay On Faith Is Inspiring

If you don't already subscribe to Lenny Letter, you need to. Lena Dunham's newsletter has been delivering some amazing guest contributors over the past few months, and the latest features an essay written by one of my favorite reality stars. In Tuesday's edition of Lenny Letter, Khloé Kardashian writes about her faith and what it means to her. It doesn't come as a surprise that Kardashian is a spiritual person; it's something she's addressed before on Keeping Up With The Kardashians. What is surprising is how she explains it ties into her relationship with Lamar Odom, the way she feels about divorce because of her faith, and how it's helped her through some of her life's greatest challenges... and it's also just one more reason I adore Kardashian.

In the essay, Kardashian explains how her faith has grown and changed over the years, and how she views her relationship with God as more personal and conversational instead of going to a physical church. But what stands out to me most is when she talks about how seriously it made her take her wedding vows to Odom, and how she has always planned to uphold those vows, even though their marriage has (kind of) ended. After seeing her take care of Odom since his health scare last year, I've always been a little confused about why she chose to do it. They split up for a reason, right? What would have changed? But after reading her take on the situation, it all makes a lot more sense.

Kardashian writes:

It was a challenge for me when I decided to get divorced. At my core, I don’t believe in divorce, but I came to a point in my marriage where I had to make the choice to take care of my own mental and emotional well-being in order to protect myself and my happiness. I am at peace with that decision and do feel like I honored my vows to the very end. I feel that I kept the serious vows I made in front of God with every inch of my heart, which is why I am still honoring them today even though my relationship with my ex-husband is in a different place. I believe in caring for my partner — past or present — “in sickness and in health,” and feel at peace with my relationship with God even after the fact.

I love this so much because Kardashian's view on the situation is really not the way most people think. After a relationship or marriage ends, that's that — those vows are done, and many people begin the search for another person to make new vows to. But it sounds like Kardashian truly believes that once she makes those vows, they are for life. Not the life of the relationship, her actual life. It may not be right for all people to continue that kind of commitment to a former spouse, but it's right for Kardashian, and it's a true example of her strength that she is able to stay true to her beliefs even in the face of such a difficult situation... and, you know, when everyone who follows her on social media is a critic. That's not an easy thing to do.

I may not be a very spiritual person myself, but I really admire that Kardashian is — and that she is willing to speak so openly about something that matters to her. It's inspiring that she's able to draw so much strength and guidance from something bigger than herself, especially at times like the ones she's faced with Odom in the past. In her essay, she also writes about how she was able to find peace with her father's death through her faith. Although she felt "bitter and angry" that someone like her dad would die, after eventually studying books about people's near-death experiences and finding her own understanding of what happens after death, she was finally able to find peace.

"I like to give praise and gratitude," she says. "I know how fortunate I am."

Regardless of what your personal beliefs are, there's something to be said for remembering to take stock of the good things in your life. And although Kardashian has definitely faced challenges like losing her father at a young age and almost losing Odom, she's still remained a strong person who is secure in who she is and what she believes in, even when those beliefs are tested. The world needs people like Kardashian, who keep their wedding vows after the marriage is over and who read affirmations to their glam squad when they're getting ready for events. Who knows? Maybe her goodness will bring even more of the same into existence, and personally, I'm glad Kardashian has given herself over to the public eye. She's funny and inspiring and if she's not my real life BFF, at least I can benefit from knowing people like her are real.