A year ago today, I thought my world was crashing in on me.

A year ago today, something I thought I was meant to do was taken from me.

A year ago today, I was heartbroken, angry, confused, bitter.

A year ago today, I learned who was REALLY there for me and who would have my back, no matter what.

A year ago today, some of the sweetest kids, parents, co-workers and friends reached out to me and let me know what a difference I’d made and what losing me meant to them.

A year ago today, I was fired from a job that I felt I was born to do.  A situation that felt so unfair at the time, so wrong.

A year ago today, some horrible rumors surrounding my firing were spreading, and the hardest part to handle was that they originated from former coworkers who I’d considered friends.

 

 

The hardest thing to do, when you feel like you’ve been knocked down, hard, is to pick yourself up and keep going.

I don’t know where I’d be without my friends, family, people who became friends throughout this…they literally loved me and gave me the strength to go on.

I fought…for myself, for my son, for the wrongs that had been done….I fought long and hard.

I LOST!

Or….did I?

What did I actually lose?

I recently had a conversation with a former co-worker, who is no longer employed there, either…and, looking back we learned quite a bit!

I never realized how toxic, chaotic and stressful an environment I was in, until I wasn’t.

I never realized how things were supposed to be operating, until I started questioning.

I never realized how strong I was, until I had to be.

I never realized that my flesh is soooo much stronger than my spiritual self (something I’ve been working on) and that God had worked ALL OF THIS out for me because I deserved MORE, and I should have just trusted HIM through the journey!

I never realized how much I’d meant to those kids until I wasn’t there, and there parents reached out to me.

I will miss those kids every single day… and am so thankful that many still keep in touch and let me know how they’re doing.

 

 

One year later, the bitterness is gone.

One year later, I’m at a much happier place in my life.

One year later, I’d like to think that my fight opened some eyes to some changes that needed to be made (but, if not, that’s ok).

One year later, students bump into me and tell me how missed I am and that they wish I was still there.

One year later, a year of personal growth, of discovering myself again…my goals, my dreams…I am at peace and know that I am much better off because of what happened ONE YEAR AGO TODAY!