Chapter 10 - Freedom
It has been a year since I walked out.
I am standing on a beach,
feeling the sand between my toes.
The ocean is vast,
limitless,
and powerful.
Just like me.
I have a new life,
a new name in the industry,
and a new sense of self.
I am no longer defined by who I serve.
I am defined by what I create.
My blog has turned into a book.
It's helping women all over the world find their voice.
I get letters every day.
"Because of you,
I left."
"Because of you,
I spoke up."
"Because of you,
I am eating at the table."
I realize that my pain had a purpose.
It was the fuel for a fire that is now warming others.
I look at the horizon.
The sun is setting,
painting the sky in colors I can't even name.
I think about David sometimes.
I hope he finds happiness,
but I hope he finds a backbone first.
I think about Martha.
I hope she learns that a family is built on respect,
not on 'rules'.
But mostly,
I think about me.
The girl who stood in the kitchen and decided she was worth more than leftovers.
I am proud of her.
I am grateful to her.
I walk towards the water,
the waves washing over my feet.
The water is cold,
but it's refreshing.
I am free.
The 100 lines of my story are not lines of sorrow.
They are lines of triumph.
Each comma is a breath.
Each period is a step forward.
I am the author of my own life now.
And the story is just beginning.
I smile,
a real,
genuine smile.
One that reaches my eyes.
I turn away from the past and walk towards the future.
And it is bright.
May you like
It is beautiful.
It is mine.
