Unsealed Voices - Letters To Or From The Old Version of Yourself - Part 2

This is kind of a visual piece. Kid me. Hey, uh, before you go? Yeah? How much more do we lose

I can't tell you everything, as there would be nothing left for you to learn. You lose a lot

But we also gain more than we lose. Keep your heartbeat strong, kid, for both of us. Our future

will thank us. Hey, I'm glad you visit me. You've made a lot of progress. I know you didn't believe

in yourself but how could you not you've been through a lot like a lot a lot but you still have

faith and hope in humans you still love and you're still working for me for them give yourself more

credit if i have to keep a heartbeat strong you have to give yourself credit where credit is due

i'll work on that you say that but mean it mean it i'll try my best to give myself more credit

no promises sounds about right see you around bigger me i love you i love you too little me

Thank you for waiting. You know, Mars, it's so interesting. I mean, for those of you that know your story, you had a challenging childhood

You didn't have super present parents. You grew up with grandparents, I believe. And there was just a lot of challenges that you've had to overcome

And that letter feels like, or that poem, you are able to be the adult parent and presence

Give yourself, give your child self that presence that you needed. I would say the thing I love about you the most is your strength and the fact that you continue to tell yourself that you going to be the one that going to win Like you are the stronger one Do you remember me I harbor innocence and imagination The thought of even kissing the

person I like is enough to send shivers up my spine. I wish you would have slowed down in that

area. I get it that things happened to you that made you bitter, scared, and angry. You didn't

have to be so easy though. No one will respect you if you don't respect yourself. You aren't a sex

icon. You're horny because you do drugs and you became a hooker because you're poor and sick of

living on the street. Just because you made a lot of money, it doesn't restore your dignity. Do you remember me? I'm gentle and forgiving, which is why even though I don't understand what

you've done, I will still forgive you someday. You've come this far and you haven't given up

so you should be proud of that. The world has become an ugly and evil place, I guess

especially in the life you got wrapped up in. I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I rushed you and I'm sorry

that I didn't teach you to love yourself better. It's not over yet and you've made a ton of strides

in the right direction, but please, please remember that everything you've worked so hard to build

can be ripped away from you just as fast, if not faster. Don't lose focus

And one last thing, don't forget where you came from. Every now and again, if you could

just please try and think of me. That is beautiful. Kendra, I loved everything about your story

I feel like you were telling my story. I too, I'm a recovering addict as well

I too have a past of doing things to get what I needed at that time

I not proud of it but I do embrace my past because that who I was and that who got me to where I am now I not ashamed of my past and I think it great that you not either I loved what you wrote I loved it

So quick background. I was adopted when I was six. I have two biological sisters that were adopted along with me, all into the same family

The title of this letter is called, You Will Not Stay Broken. I see your doll Betsy sitting in the corner, barely held together with thread

But she is yours, and she stays even when the others do not

You hold her close because sometimes she feels like the only safe place you have

I know that life seems so unkind, so unfair right now, and it is, but I also know that

you're resilient and you have taken the impossible and learned how to fly. One day you will rise above all of this, above the abuse, above the isolation, above the

abandonment, and you will grow into someone who knows how to hold her own heart gently

who speaks softly to her scars, who stands steady in her truth

Do you think love heals? Oh, certainly, I do. I don't think I will ever be without all of my scars because they're a person

they're part of who I am. But I think that love allows me to make new memories. Love allows me to

heal what is broken inside of me, at least enough to be able to love others back unconditionally

and to accept them for who they are. As Lauren has mentioned, I was raised by my grandparents

It was through a state adoption through state of Arizona when I was around six years old

My biological parents, I'd rather just not ever talk about them. But I love love love what you had to say And I love what you had to say about how love heals Like you resonated so much with me and you are inspiring and thank you for showing up today for me for us for yourself like it an

honor to absolutely meet you and see you thank you this is actually a chapter called closing

old doors opening new ones Todd smiled as he took my hand and gently slid it onto my finger

It felt heavy, yet it seemed to belong there. I leaned in and kissed him, then wrapped my arms around his neck and held him close

I love you, I said with my bubbly voice. I love you too, Todd replied

We finished our drinks, barely tasting them, and walked back to our room, hand in hand

It was time to celebrate. Just us. Over the past nine months, the doors of opportunity that were offered to me changed from a choice of a forced marriage, from a high school dropout to a master's degree graduate

My dreams of various future employment opportunities once held vast potential. But now, multiple sclerosis has opened doors I never intended to unlock

I love that you found your peace in your person because I similarly did too

One of the key things that stood out to me, I think JR said it is about your scar tissue became your roadmap