I originally purchased the key, which was engraved with "love", when I was struggling with depression. At the time I had just moved out of my house due to a toxic relationship with my step mother and father, struggling to accept that my mother's first priority was her new husband and not her children, applying to graduate school, working, interning, running a community service club on campus, attempting to keep my grades in good standing, and soon became very ill. I was barley eating anything, began losing weight, would be late to my responsibilities, and went to a handful of doctors to try to pin point the problem. I began to release my anxiety through self-injury by cutting myself. I began to feel more accomplished the deeper I would cut, leaving scars across my arm. I bought this key to wear everyday to remind myself to not only dedicate my life to loving others, but to also loving myself. I would refuse to cut when I had the key around my neck. Eventually with time, I grew to handle my anxiety in other ways and grew healthier, both physically and emotionally.
I passed the key on to a friend. He grew up in a toxic household where he physically abused and once became homeless. He struggled himself with cutting in the past and had attempted suicide. Shortly after I met him, I grew to fall madly in love with who he was. We both graduated college and he moved back to North Carolina and I will be moving to St.Louis for graduate school. He told me before he left that he didn't care whether he lived or died, and that he felt unfit for this cruel world. I gave him my key, giving him a part of myself. I told him that this is a reminder of how we can overcome our struggles, how much he is valued, and to always remember to love himself. To this day he continues to wear it, knowing there is someone in the world who will value him always and a constant reminder to love.
-Dianna
