For the letter meme, Dear past me, !
Dear Past Me,
You did the best that you could.
Though there isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t wince at some of the decisions you made, I also understand the anguish you were going through. You were never clean enough, never polished to perfection, and it shone through in your habits. Though you tried to carry yourself with dignity and grace, your rage and heartbreak eventually got the best of you.
I’d like you to know that I came out superior to you in every way-- and that, even if you were able to in some capacity, you shouldn’t feel bad about it. Rather, you should feel proud. Without you to guide me, I likely would have made some poor decisions too. In this life, there is much less room for me to make mistakes, so that suits me well.
I kicked all of your bad habits. I put down the bottle; stopped using as well. I even rewired my brain, without assistance, simply because I needed to. I dropped the self-sabotage and the petulance and I rose from your proverbial ashes like a phoenix. Without you, I never could have returned with such vigour; I have your weakness to thank for my current strength. Your existence, though ultimately pitiful, served a great purpose. I would like you to know that I have all that I want in life once more-- a beautiful woman whom I wish to marry, and plans to have children with her in the future-- and I won’t lose it this time. I’ve learned. I’ve trained. That is why, in spite of all of your flaws and errors, I carry you with me fondly.
In the end, nobody but Brielle understood you. You were right about that.
E. Strahv.
