What advice would you give to your younger self?

You’re enough. You don’t need to impress anyone.

You don’t need to pretend you’re someone that you’re not. You don’t need to be ashamed of who you are and the road you’ve travelled.

When I was growing up my father went to jail for embezzlement, and a variety of other crimes. He was voted most likely to succeed at his fancy boarding school, but he was clearly not satisfied with his life. 

As a result, my childhood was characterized by a feeling of abandonment and shame. Thank goodness for my amazing mother and her faith in God. I can’t imagine where we would be without it. Even so, I constantly felt like I was lacking, just about everything. Even though it wasn’t true it’s what I felt deep inside.

Years later when I had an awakening of my own faith, I suddenly saw myself through someone else’s eyes and I realized I was enough. I didn’t need to cover up and hide, I could just be me. I was enough, in all my brokenness. 

That was a good day.