I don't know if you read one of my earlier blog posts "The awful truth".
This post was done for a task asking me what I am most proud of. I answered very directly and honestly that I really am most proud of survivng my past and raising my brother and sister. You see, I grew up in a violent house, that was never a home. I want you to know the real me and why I say that I am a role model. I have a lot to say and to teach. I'm also the only Canadian, Punjabi, Japanese person in the top 20. I represent a variety of people.

About my past, I really don't like keeping it a secret or feeling like I have to hide anything. I prefer to put it out there and talk about it and hope that others will talk about the issue, open their eyes to it and realise some things. I feel that the issue is not talked about enough even though it's so common and everywhere. It shouldn't be something you hide or are ashamed of or a source of embarrassment or awkwardness. I really hope things change. So anyway, my past is the thing I'm most proud of and I said so.

I am really proud of it cause of what I became and I'm so proud of my brother as well. I managed to do a lot and pay for university myself and travel and raise an amazing brother and sister. They still see me as a mother figure and we are really close. The entire experience is of course sad but also empowering, but I don't want it to keep happening to people and I want to share with others and let them know that they don't have to be victims and they can overcome it, and after that, they can really do anything.

I'm really lucky that I've met good people who are also brave and mature and evolved enough to hear what I have to say and be able to talk about it and even share their own experiences. In this way we can heal. I've found a family in Italy of all places and my close friends as well as my brother and sister are who I consider family. It has nothing to do with blood for me.

I got involved in community centres when I lived in Toronto and volunteered with abused kids. A lot of people do end up like me. I think they're the stronger ones who don't have any mental problems to begin with. Also having hope and being optimistic helps. I had a good mindset that I was going to leave and never go back and take every bad thing as a lesson and learn from it and use it and cherish every part of my life because it's a part of what makes me unique and special. I still remember being 3 and telling them that one day I was going to leave and never come back and they should be ready. I never wanted them to be sad. I warned them repeatedly. When they told me I couldn't do things, I said "really? watch! I just did". Sometimes I really had to be a good actress and I had to lie.

I learned my skills and talents from dealing with my parents. No one was gonna help me, so I did everything myself.
I see other people my age and can't believe the things they do. The mistakes they make. I try not to judge people, but sometimes it's hard not to. I realise that they just need more time and experience to figure things out and sometimes I do wonder if some people are just not as strong or have a low IQ or something..

I became a really good judge of character, very observant, a good listener, patient, and mature from a very young age and it's helped me a lot in life. Just know that my past doesn't cause me any pain anymore. I really have moved past it and come to terms with everything that happened. I mostly worked through things on my own but I found also that EMDR therapy really works. I wouldn't change a thing, even if I could. I wonder if that's hard to understand. The whole thing is probably really hard to understand. It made me a great person that I love.

For me it's just life. Like going on a short trip. The trips over now and it was a doozy.

What doesn't kill you really does make you stronger, a fighter, wiser, and stand a little taller.

At the same time, for those who fight for it, life has a flavour the sheltered will never know. I actually feel fortunate to know it.
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