who we are

We meet a lot of people on a day to day basis, but every once in a while you meet that person who will have a lasting impact, that person who has helped define who you are. Some people may not stay in our lives as long as others, but that doesn't diminish the impact they can have on us. I've had experiences where mere hours have changed my perspectives forever. Usually when we meet a person who has such an impact, it's through good circumstances and happy times, but our trials and challenges fuel that refining fire as well. Avoiding hard times is like trying to hold water in a cracked bucket. Some people may enter our lives and tear us down to the very lowest level, but sometimes that is what we need.

I know all the years and the places
The fears, the lonely faces,
scars, and broken hearts have made us who we are.
We're always writing a new history
And redefining you and me.
And though I know we've come so far,
We will begin again.

No one really wants to face challenges or feel insecure, but that's how we learn, that's how we begin to appreciate our blessings. It's been said that we can never know the sweet until we've tasted the bitter. Understanding that those difficulties are what make us better people is key to making it through our trials. Those times when we've been torn open to the very core are often the times that truly define us. We discover our true potential when we can see that we've fallen so far, but we continue on. We learn, we grow, we fall again. We succeed.