At the end of the day, I just want to be proud of the
person I have become. I want to be proud of the love
I gave- of the way in which I risked my heart despite
being hurt. I want to be proud of the effort I showed
those I cared about; I want to know with a ruthless
certainty that I showed up as much as I could, that I
made people feel seen, that I made those around me feel
less alone in this chaotic world. I want to be proud
of my life – of the way I healed, of the way I made mis-
takes and learned from them, of the way I felt every-
-thing even when it wasn’t convenient or comfortable. I
want to be proud of the way I grew, of the way I let go,
of the way I pushed myself to be a better person. At
the end of the day, I just want to be able to say without
hesitation that I lived my life, that I did not just take
a back seat to my pain, or to my flaws, or to whatever
hardships came my way. I want to be able to say that I
am proud of the way I survived. I want to be able to say
that I did not take one dat for granted.
Autumn 