To the one who beat me down,

It's me. You remember me, right? The one you pushed. The one you shoved too many times. The one you grabbed too hard and bruised my eye. The one whose self esteem you broke. I just want you to know that I want to thank you. Yes that's right, thank you. You broke me. You broke me so much that I was able to become new again. It is said that the only way something can be fixed is to be broken, so thank you for doing that for me. Thank you for beating me down before I grew up. You tore me down so much that I honestly thought I would have been nothing without you. The complaining. The insults. The hatred. It consumed me. That's all I thought there was to life. You and my "no good self" and this circle of death we kept dancing around.

However, despite you breaking me, I was able to rise above the speck of dirt you made me feel like. I was able to realize what I never wanted in a person and how I would never treat someone. The nicest people are nice because they know what it is like to be broken down to nothing. They are nice because they want to do everything in their power to make sure nobody feels the way that they once felt.

So, thank you. You made me into a person who cares so much about others. A person who would do anything to see someone else smile. A person who knows their worth is not measured by the way someone makes them feel. A person who not only feels sympathy for others, but empathy for the people stuck like I was. You helped me become who I was meant to be, and that is someone who helps lift others up.

Along this road I discovered something about you. Mama always told me that it was the strong people who built others up, and the weak people who tore them down. You are so weak. I always thought you were strong from the way you loved me and grabbed my wrists. But behind that, you are one sorry coward.

My hope for you is this - I hope that one day you realize that there is so much more to life than stepping on others. I hope you realize that blowing someone else's flame out, doesn't make yours any brighter. My hope for you is that you'll find Christ. You won't continue to find your identity in hurting others, but in Him. You'll see that you too can change.

Thank you so much. Thank you for teaching me I am so much greater than what you always told me I was.

Sincerely,

The girl who stood up