I Found My Purpose In My Pain

In the past,
I have been bullied and emotionally abused
and dealt with a lot of shame and regret.
My joys and grace were robbed.
My smile and emotions succumbed to fear, anxiety, and sadness.
My life became gloomy.
I was alone.
I was lost.

The pain I endured washed my eyes with bloody tears
until they ran dry and my heart died.
I was at my breaking point, down on my knees.
I wanted to scream until my lungs dry out the air that I breathe.

In the midst of shadows and darkness,
I glimpsed a light of hope one day,
and my perspectives changed.
I pulled myself back up.
I picked up all the shattered pieces of my life and glued them back together,
one piece at a time.
Instead of attempts to numb the pain and wipe away all the memories,
I chose to sit with it, worked through it, and learned to let it go.
I found my purpose in my pain.