Realization

  I knew this girl once. She contained a powerful voice that she learned to use for good. She strives to better herself in every way, everyday. She was undeniably strong, with will power and determination that nobody could manage to hold back, no matter how hard they tried. She was kind hearted and free. She was motivated and motivating. She inspired and found inspiration in the world around her; every piece of it. Her smile was genuine and her laugh was whole. She walked with a confidence that others envied, and a grace that somehow magically overpowered her clumsiness.She was someone you wanted to be.
   This girl had a past. A past that people were unaware of because they only saw the surface of what I just described. But she was okay with that, because she no longer needed to wear her pain on her face and her body. Her past was unimportant. In her focus were her future triumphs. Her dreams and her career , along with a life full of love was where her sights were set. She was striving and thriving, not just surviving. People enjoyed to be a part of her new life, but very little knew of how deserving of it she truly was. Few knew of the struggles and the pain that took place on this road to where she was now standing. But for the ones who were there, it was a sight to see.
   As she looked back on the road traveled in her journey, she suddenly stopped. As she turned around I tried to warn her that she did not need to go back and pick up that bag full of darkness that was so heavy that she had finally made the decision to leave it behind. But she did anyways. She tried to explain that she was not ready to leave those things behind completely, that she knew how much heavier that her load would now be once again, but that she could handle it. While I knew she was wrong, there were no words to change her mind. The road for her began to feel longer and harder. She was tired, discouraged. It took too long for her to recognize that it was the bag on her back that was weighing her down. But it felt like it had become a part of her. As her journey continued, her outlook began to change. This bag, although closed tight, was causing such negativity for her. The view on the horizon was no longer bright and colorful like it was miles back, it was dull and dreary. Drop the bag. Open it up and empty it to make room for all the wonderful things that could be found as this path is being walked.
   I knew this girl. This girl with a free spirit, destined to fly. She was a person who could lose her way farther than anyone I know and be able to find her way back without a map or direction. She had a purpose, she was meant for something important. She just needed to discover it. That girl was me.

Before

 After