I am...

"I am strong. I am powerful. I can do anything."- Rose (Sunshine Cleaning)
"I see pride! I see power! I see a bad-ass mother who don't take no crap off of nobody!"- Junior (Cool Runnings)
I've always found this type of motivational statement to be intriguing. I've never been one to look in the mirror and repeat one, but lately I have been thinking about the general concept.
What do people see when they look at me?
I can't answer that... but I know what I see and I know how drastically that view has changed over the last few years.
Had I asked myself this question three years ago, I would have said:
An insecure, broken, hurting girl, insecure, unworthy of love, unbeautiful, damaged. Unwanted, discarded, abandoned, used, weak. Not good enough, never living up to expectations- a failure. A loser, a misfit, a mess.

I have grown so much over the last year... and recent events have really shown me how amazing the change has been. Am I perfect? No- nowhere near perfect. I am a work in progress, but the progress is there.

I am: strong, beautiful, emotional, loyal, honest, loving, lovable, thoughtful, unique, important, valuable, pretty, comfortable, inspired, content, motivated, intelligent, musical, social.

I know I still have work to do, but I know that I couldn't have gotten this far without my friends. Thank you- to those of you who have stood by me and supported me- and even to those who have hurt me. To the people I've grown up with, loved, dated, played WoW with, travelled with, gone to school with -you have all taught me so much, often without realizing it. Without all of you, I would not be who I am now. And to those of you who have stuck with me through the worst of it... you are true friends, and I look forward to many more good times in the future.