I came from nothing; all I'd ever seen was darkness. I've always been outspoken or 'disrespectful' to some, but I knew better than to let myself be bullied by anyone. My mother taught me to be strong-minded like she was. I often came off as stubborn for speaking my mind and sticking up for myself, but that never fazed me. Living in a house where blaming and being codependent on your child was a normal thing. Now that I'm older, I'm proud I stuck up for myself because none of my siblings did. I am the baby on both sides of my family, but I am glad to be the one to break these generational curses. I never understood why I would snap back as a kid, as that would make things worse for me, but I came from the pits of hell, and once I saw the light after so many dark days, I've never let go. I went from being extremely depressive for years to getting a glimpse of freedom and running with it. I take pride in how my character development has been, healing myself into the person I aspired to be. There are two more days till my birthday, and I will say I would not have been here if it weren't for my friends. My best friend Kay knows how dark my life was. She was the only one who made an effort to make sure I was okay. My other best friend Julissa has helped me grow and have more of an outside perspective on my situation, seeing as we went through similar things. I have a few more friends who have helped me get through the days over the years, and for all of these people, I am so thankful to have had them in my life; they showed me peace when I saw nothing but chaos. My Pa has been the sweetest man to ever exist in my eyes. He's treated me with love and care when I needed it and showed me it was okay to share certain parts of myself. He showed me courage and safety while becoming more comfortable in who I am, and I will forever be thankful to him. He has such a gentle soul; I believe wholeheartedly he deserves the absolute best in the world. My boyfriend has helped me grow in so many ways, even in the short time of him being in my life. He's helped me become more open-minded to many different perspectives and outcomes when it's difficult to see through the fog placed over my eyes. He's shown me he can love me unconditionally and wholeheartedly while we take each step towards growing with each other. I love and appreciate all these things/people I've mentioned. They all had a special role in my life, shaping me into the young woman I have grown to be today, to leave the footprint that shows myself and so many others that I made it out of the darkness. You can do it too. Never give up; you've made it this far, so walk your path, and once you trust and have patience, everything will be worth it.
