Dear Anita,

By your definition of victim as someone who has suffered abuse, i am one too. The only difference is that i refuse to let the consequences wreck me like before. Thats why i call myself a survivor now, rather than accept myself as a victim. I have thought like a victim for too long and wallowed in anger and self-pity. I have seen the consequences shatter me in more ways than i can ever explain to anyone. I have had to walk away from the people who hurt me, forgive them as far as i could, let go and start over. I have had to come to terms with the anger, confusion, numbness the younger me felt when all that happened to her. Holding on to the past harmed my present and future way too much. I cant change what happened but I can choose to move forward. The last 2 years in particular, i have been working very hard to recover my self-esteem and untangle those years. I am happier with my life now and am slowly coming to terms with myself. Pain is inevitable but suffering is optional.

Regards,
Moon