light at the end of the tunnel

i have been waiting for more than a week to write about my experience at Austin City Limits, and my birthday, but that will have to wait. i have something else that i absolutely HAVE to write about. this topic, so broad and so common, unfortunately, is something i must talk about. when i was growing up i used to dream of the day that i found the perfect person; someone i could share everything with, someone who was my best friend, and someone that i could spend my life with. i wanted a love like my grandparents, my aunt and uncle, my mom and dad. however, this sweet, pure naivety caused me so much heartache that it truly took me years to realize that you have to protect yourself above all else, you must guard your heart and be cautious. this is a sad reality. it took me getting drugged by a boy in college to realize that not everyone in the world was good. this is SO incredibly hard for me to share, but i will not continue to tiptoe through life, scared of sharing a reality that could help many others who have gone through similar experiences. it breaks my heart, shatters it, to think about how many girls i know who have been harmed, sexually, mentally, or in any way shape or form. being in a toxic relationship or having something terrible happen you, one of the most difficult revelations, is something i have had to go through, my sisters, best friends, and this is what i find so dismal. as positive of a person as i am, this is something that haunts me on a daily basis. the entire scenario of someone innocently wanting to find love, and then being hurt in such an awful way, really is so unbelievably sad. one thing i will say, is that we are so much stronger because of this. i have found an unwavering strength from within because of this, and a deeper love and acceptance for myself that i might not have found otherwise. instead of being resentful, or hateful, i want to be there for all of the girls who have faced something similar. there is only one way to move forward, to continue on, and that is together.
-so so so much love ♥

"what's the greatest lesson a woman should learn?

that since day one she's already had everything that she needs within herself. it's the world that convinced her she did not."
-rupi kaur ♡