Dear Eleni,

Well, look at us. Look at how we’ve turned out. We’ve come a long way, haven’t we? Remember the times we didn’t think we’d be ok? I mean, there are so many reasons why we didn’t think we’d be ok, but remember how we promised ourselves that we would never let anyone stop us in our track and hurt us the way we’ve been hurt?

Remember how he came at you, how you- a child, stopped a grown man? Remember how you used to cry as a teenager because you were so angry and no one ever cared to ask why? Remember how you sat in your room and wanted to die because you had no idea how to live? Remember how cold and numb and sad and scared and angry- oh so angry- you were? Well, I’m glad we’re still here.

Remember how you fell for a man who was horrible to you because you were ashamed of who you were, what you’ve seen, what happened. How you accepted such toxic love and terrible treatment because you felt damaged and didn’t deserve something good and pure? Remember how you would lie on the bathroom floor and not be able to breathe from the anxiety and depression, watching your life through closed eyelids, and wishing someone would just put you out of your misery? Remember how multiple people in your life literally looked at you and felt the need to diminish your existence? How they didn’t see your light and attacked you in the dark? Perhaps they saw your light and wanted to snuff it. Remember how you never thought you’d be out of the darkness, but you crawled through the blinding black and climbed your way out of the deepest hole, tooth and nail, to become the woman you are today?

Well, I’m glad we’re still here.

I’m glad we are still here, still fighting, still growing, still standing.

I am glad we have made it, in the most simplistic way that makes us so happy.

I am glad we are here, helping people rise out of their darkness because we see their little flickers of light are still burning.

I am glad we have come this far, and I am glad we know there is so much more for us to do. I am glad we are this strong, to be able to endure and rise, to fall and rise, to be knocked down and rise, because we are the ones who lend out our hand and help people get back up. I am glad, we are here, even through the darkness, we are here, pure-hearted, still.

Dear Eleni- I am so glad you love yourself so much to never allow someone or something to keep you down. You are- no, WE are amazing.