At peace

I feel at peace for the first time in years.

Not constantly. There are still moments where the old fear creeps in. Moments where I feel small and broken and like I deserve to suffer.

But those moments are shorter now. And between them, there's light.

There's Anneka. There's my work. There's the knowledge that I survived something that was meant to destroy me.

And I did it. I survived. I'm building a life that's actually worth living.

I'm teaching classes where people feel safe. I'm living with someone who loves me. I'm starting to love myself.

This is what I was supposed to have all along. This quiet strength. This knowledge that I'm enough just as I am.