Dear past me,

I’m glad you didn’t take those pills that day in 12th grade.
I’m glad you stayed to finish that final exam, and that you went home, even though it felt like there was only chaos, and no one truly waiting for you there. I’m proud of how you carried that quiet loneliness, moving from one painful situation to another, and still held on.

I’m glad you stayed long enough to graduate one day.
I’m glad you kept whispering those prayers: “If I make it out of this childhood, please let me have a happy adult life.”
I’m glad the absence of support from your parents or any adult didn’t stop you.
I’m so proud you found the strength to work four jobs, to fund your education and survival all by yourself.
I’m glad you stood alone at graduation, and that you didn’t let that emptiness steal your moment.

I’m especially glad you didn’t numb yourself.
No pills. No shortcuts. No narcotics.
Even when you wanted to disappear, you didn’t.
Even when the path felt unbearable, you kept walking it.

You never followed the easy way out.
You didn’t settle for love that only offered comfort.
You waited for better.
Without proof, without promise, you believed something good would come.
And somehow, it did.

I’m glad you started reading books at six years old.
I’m glad you discovered there were other worlds, other ways to live.
Books became your window and your proof: life could be different.
And one day, you’d make sure of it.

And I’m so glad that seeing the tragedies you did, things no child should have to see, didn’t break you.
You let it shape you, not stop you.
You kept going.
And now, you choose yourself. Every time.
I am so proud of you for that.

Thank you for holding on, for pushing through, for not giving up on me.

Because of you, I now live a life that once felt impossible.
A beautiful life.
A dream career that combines your love for travel with the power to motivate others, just like the books that once saved you.
You’ve visited the places you used to only read about. You’ve become the light you were always looking for.

There’s no more silence, no more aching loneliness.
You found community.
You found people who love you like family, who guide you, who celebrate you.
You found peace.
You found love.
You made it.

And best of all, your prayers were heard.
Your adult life is full of joy.

So thank you.
For the sleepless nights, for the faith, for the fight.
I’m so glad you exist.
And I’m endlessly proud of you.

With love,

from Me.

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