Strength To Strength

I just got a key that says "Strength". The word strength means a lot to me. My parents got divorced when I was sixteen and my younger sister was ten. It took a toll on both of us, but I felt like as her older sister, I had to be strong and pretend that everything was going to be okay. Even when I knew it wouldn't be. We almost lost our house, our car, everything. We could have been homeless, but I was acting like everything was going to be okay. It's been seven years and my Mom, sister and I have done a good job at being strong. I don't have to pretend everything is okay because now it is! <3

This story is not about me, though. It's about one of my guy friends. I've only known him for four months, but he's someone I really care about. He's handsome, confident and has an awesome personality. But I recently found out, that's all a front. He's very self-conscious and has pretty low self-esteem. The reason why: he was bullied all through school. People used to beat him up on a daily basis and he even got thrown down the stairs once in high school. It actually breaks my heart to know that people used to treat him that way. I can't imagine how he felt getting bullied on a daily basis. It also could have been worse, he could have taken his own life and I would have never met him. Looking at him now, you'd never know this by the way he acts. I chose the word "Strength" because at twenty, he knows what it's like to be strong. It's also to remind him not to let people get him down. I'm actually really excited to give it to him. I hope he loves it!

- Ashley