proud of myself. because no matter how hard and traumatic my life has been, i've never used it as an excuse to mistreat anyone. i've carried pain, but i never passed it on to others. i've been hurt and betrayed, but i still chose to be kind. i know what it's like to be treated unfairly, so i made a promise to myself that i would never let my pain turn me into the kind of person who caused it. instead, i let it teach me how important it is to be gentle. and that's how i know i've grown.