This is Me

My father left when I was sixteen

But his lessons stayed

No fireworks, just patience and a quiet strength

The kind that teaches you to

Breathe through pain, hardship and….

Well, life really

Down in the depths of a dark coalmine

In the shadows of fear

Through the sweat and the toil

My old journeyman said

“Work to the best of your abilities

You might just find you enjoy it”

And I did

I found pride in effort

I found power in the grind

I found strength in the struggle

The army came next

Hard boots

Hard truths

Harder growth

I didn’t just learn the discipline

I discovered who I was, when everything was stripped away

Resilience

Mental stamina

Fear and courage

A fire that wouldn’t flicker out

Three times death knocked on my door

A truck crash that could’ve ended it all

Cold that crept into my bones ‘til even breath felt foreign

A heart attack that should’ve silenced the beating drum inside me

But I rose up

Every single time

Scars?

I wear them with pride

Each one a page in a story that I refuse to hide

Life doesn’t hand out ease

But I stayed joyful

Not because life was kind

But because I was determined to endure

Still, I rise

Not bitter

Not broken

But filled with joy

For every second

I’m still here

This is me!

Footnote!

We all have the power to choose hope, and search for glimmers of happiness amid the shadows and fears of life.

This was written after thinking about some of the things that have helped to shape my character during my early years.