For as long as I can remember, people have asked me things like,
"Why are you always so happy? How do you always stay happy? Why do you
smile so much? Why do you say hi to everyone you see?" My answer has
usually been just because I am so blessed. But really, it's so much more. I
smile and continue to be happy because I have absolutely no reason not to be.
Yes, I have bad days and yes I get frustrated and impatient but my faith
reminds me that I am never alone. I was put here on Earth to help others find happiness
and show Jesus love to them.
My
family like many others has overcome some extremely difficult challenges but we
always come out stronger.We have learned that we cannot do anything on our own,
so we don't. In my life I am still persecuted and told veryhurtful thingsthat
do get to me. However, I know we are all human and I forgive them. If I had not
learn the gift of forgiveness I'm not sure where I would be right now. As a
child who has been involved in the process of divorce at different ages I know
that there are things out of my control. I don't share a lot of my story with
many people mostly because I don't want anyone to feel bad for me or my family.
I also don't share the story because it is so painful that if people knew the
things this person did they would look down on them and treat them differently. I figure
it's not my job to judge them, they will get judged one day. I have seen
physical, emotional and psychological abuse in different situations. I've been
called fake, rude, lazy, selfish, etc. I have suffered insecurities and depression.
I struggled with guilt and feeling helpless. I am definitely not perfect but I
am confident in who I am. I know I do not purposely seek to hurt others. I try
to go out of my way to make others feel better. I have always struggled
with painful confrontation and always hope to avoid it but I have learned to trust
myself and if I feel passionate about something, I will speak up. I love seeing
the best in others but I am not naive. I do not allow myself to be used and
abused.
I can't
help but feel overwhelmed at this point in my life. I feel like I was just a
timid little girl wanting to make my mom happy and be a good sister and friend.
Now I am sitting in a church with an amazing teenage girl helping other girls
find a prom dress for free. I am happily married to the amazing man I started
dating 10 years ago. I am the proud sister of a girl who proved EVERYONE wrong
and was a DIII All- Conference player and a collegiate coach. I am a teacher of
4 years and a grad school student on her way to becoming a school counselor. I
have overcome some situations that I see people struggling through today and
has caused them depression, abuse and grief. I hope to be a reminder to them
that you can be the exception. You do not have to be succumbed to your past. You
can break the cycle. People will tell you no. People will tell you you'll never
go to college, you'll end up a pregnant teenager and you will never have a
backbone. You will and you can. Sometimes I still cannot fathom why my mom,
sister and I have the attitudes we do. But then I am reminded we live and love
faithfully because we believe our Savior will guide us and protect us. We
believe in something so much bigger than ourselves. We believe that we are so
freely forgiven so we must forgive too. We believe that God loves us
unconditionally and we have hearts that truly desire to know him more. My heart
could b u r s t sometimes with the amount of love and peace I feel inside. I know I
do not have to be afraid anymore and I know that I deserve happiness and
love.
I want nothing
more than to share the love and peace of my Savior with my future kids, family,
friends and world. When people ask me why and how I am so happy I will always
point to God and give him all of the glory. I know from the bottom of my heart
that I can do all things through him, especially because, I am surrounded by people who encourage,
inspire and help me in all ways.
I can't
help but feel overwhelmed at this point in my life. I feel like I was just a
timid little girl wanting to make my mom happy and be a good sister and friend.
Now I am sitting in a church with an amazing teenage girl helping other girls
find a prom dress for free. I am happily married to the amazing man I started
dating 10 years ago. I am the proud sister of a girl who proved EVERYONE wrong
and was a DIII All- Conference player and a collegiate coach. I am a teacher of
4 years and a grad school student on her way to becoming a school counselor. I
have overcome some situations that I see people struggling through today and
has caused them depression, abuse and grief. I hope to be a reminder to them
that you can be the exception. You do not have to be succumbed to your past. You
can break the cycle. People will tell you 
