I've heard my heart break,
I've cried myself to sleep.
I've been ignored, scorned, abandoned.
I doubted myself;
I believed their lies.
My hope was shattered;
my soul was battered.
But I wouldn't change anything.
I do not regret my past,
because it lead me here.
I'm grateful for every scar
because when they healed,
they made my skin stronger.
I'm thankful for each tear,
because it made me
appreciate each smile.
Every hardship was a lesson
in counting my blessings.
Sometimes you must fall
so you can pick yourself up.
Sometimes you must brave a storm
in order to find the sunshine.