Shadows of a past life

It’s hard when your former life, a childhood that you had no control over choosing and shaping, sullies your adult life, that you painstakingly built up to be healthy and stable. It’s hard to find yourself in this chosen life and discover your old shadows still haunt you, and they might haunt you forever. It’s hard to realize there may never be a solution, no matter how loving and supportive your partner is, or how many kind, interesting friends you have.

But the hardest thing of all is to keep everything in context. Yes, you have a wonderful partner who’s deeply in love with you. Yes, you have kind and interesting friends. Yes, you’re a charming, vibrant person. The shadows will try to blot these truths out (and any reasoning from others about why you are valuable) and make them seem insignificant in comparison to the impulse to think yourself unworthy, but you have to be strong and cut past the shadows to be with those who love you.

-Elle