Staring out the window as light snow falls, I think about 2009. This same time last year I was full of tears and fear. I was heart broken by rejection. My heart longed for something more than what it had. My hope was dwindling. I was tired and weak even though only 17. My fear was of what lay ahead. I hadn’t a clue.

As the year went by I moved on. My friends gave me my strength that became impossible to break. They became my umberalla. I realized I needed a change. Never again would I let any man break me down as much as he did. Never again would I be so weak and desperate. My new lease on life brought me to something that at the time seemed completly impossible.

About six months ago, everything changed. My life was altered completly. It felt like a twist in a tear-jerking love story. My heart felt free. It was no longer tied down by longing. I was able to jump in blindly and willingly knowing I wasn’t going alone.