Validation

I am my own person. I am allowed to be frustrated. I am allowed to put my foot down once in a while and stand up for what I believe is right. We are all equals, no more or less of a human being than others. Like any other person, I am not perfect. I yell, I cry, I get my hopes up, I fall down, but I'm trying to learn how to get back up again.

I am allowed to have an opinion, and for the most part I'm open to change. Change can be extremely difficult though. One can say they have changed, apologize, and put on a nice face, but have they really changed that much? And how come all of a sudden they are just realizing this? Did I offend them by running away from their hateful glares and awful threats? 

History itself cannot change, but the angle you look at it can. I looked at the same thing one day terrified and not sure how to respond, and the next with an action plan. It's not often that I'm capable of speaking up as much as I did. To protect myself in a different way than just running away. There are most likely a million different was to approach this situation, but I did what I could and tried my hardest. 

I fully acknowledge that different people act a certain ways, but should that excuse their actions?  Make something so painfully wrong okay? Making them the victim? Make it morally, emotionally, physically right?

I am allowed to let myself be scared, hurt, anxious, and sad about what they said and did to me and what experienced. I am not about to lie say didn't and doesn't still affect me, because it does and has for months and months. But I grew, and I'm still growing. I'm learning how to move past the judgment. Being honest with others and myself, and letting yourself experience and validate emotions, but growing from them, is the most valuable lesson that I've learned and have learned so far.