Strength is probably not a word my cousin would think to describe herself with but it's definitely one of the things I admire most about her.

Encountering people in life who use something negative from their past as a crutch is unfortunately something that happens quite often. Just as frustrating are they people who make themselves out to be martyrs because of troubled pasts. Seldom do you find an individual who takes what they've been handed, learns from it and gracefully moves on. My cousin is one of those people. A tough childhood with strained relationships and pressure to be someone who she wasn't has never been something that she's let bring her down. She is one of the few people I've met in life that will not compromise who she is for anyone and it inspires me more than words can say. Accepting yourself when it seems no one else will takes strength beyond anything I could ever comprehend and for that she deserves to have the word carried close to her heart every day.