To people everywhere and anywhere,

The kindness challenged my self perception from the inside out. My heart was being held so tenderly, no judgment, no input, no shaming, only a simple listening and understanding of where I was right then.
Before all this, I was told what to do, ignored, or invalidated. They said it wasn’t real. I did not need help all while looking at me like I was some kind of monster. My heart ached to be heard. All around me they had it worse or I was completely alone.
I became numb, small, miserable, unloved, and unloving. Nothing brought light to my eyes, my soul was empty. Was there a forward in all this?
Desperately I reached out to a stranger. I asked for nothing. Only sobbed my story and nearly wanted to be agreed with on my lack of worthiness.
She did not. She told me I was human. Mistakes did not make up who I was. There was more to the story than I was letting myself believe. The opinions and lack of empathy of those before her did not define my experiences.
The shadow began to recede and the mugginess waned. The storm calmed. The winter ended. The chill lifted. Gently the sun poked out and flowers blossomed. Hope was born.
A hope I had never known. My heart began pumping, my soul returned. What was this clarity? Acceptance? Change and growth?
She allowed room for the pain and cleared the cobwebs of years from people discrediting or not believing me.
I saw a glimmer of light. My life was forever changed the kindness of a stranger.