11. TO BE, OR NOT TO BE THANKFUL

I know it can be tough sometimes, reflecting back on your life and traumatic experiences, to think there is anything to be thankful for. Growing up, I hated it when teachers would ask us to write down things we were thankful for, because what was I to say? My parents were the worst, I was often bullied, and life was miserable. Now, as I am older and more aware of the world, I think there is a lot to be thankful for.

I'm thankful for the connections I have built over the years with people whom I love. My friends, the family I have created and chosen for myself. Most of all, I'm thankful for myself. I'm thankful that I am alive and well, and strong enough to still fight. I'm thankful to have learned the realities of life that encompasses all the good and the bad, so that I am not a naive person living in an innocent bubble. Ignorance is not always bliss. I'm glad I got to see all the ugliness there is out there in the world so I know how to protect myself from it, and how to survive it. It makes me stronger.

Our traumatic experiences don't have to define us. We are more than our scars; and whatever has happened to us in the past, does not have to dictate our future. We can use those experiences and grow from it. We can heal our wounds by embracing the lessons we've learned. If you can survive the most darkest and worst days of your life, you can survive anything. You are so much stronger than you know. So believe in yourself, and be proud of yourself. If there is nothing else to be thankful for, then just be thankful for yourself. You are worth it.