Dear Self
Dear Self, You are strong and you are brave, and you don’t give yourself nearly enough credit for that. You have survived more in your 35 years of life than most people endure in a lifetime. It is time to forgive yourself for the mistakes you made along the way. Survival might not be an excuse, but it is an explanation, and every so-called ‘wrong’ step brought you to where you are, and who you are, today. Would you trade this version of you for anything? No. No, you would not. You, therefore, cannot begrudge what you think were missteps any longer. Each one put you on this path; the right path; the sober path. You are humble, kind, compassionate, and empathetic. Despite the heart aches and breaks you have lived through, you refused to allow the darkness of this world to harden your soul. You strode out of Hell like you owned the place, head held high, nursing buckets of water for loved ones still burning. And even when your voice shook, you told your stories; you had the cou...