” I am strong.”

it’s easy for me to forget that,
after all,
its easier to deal with the life I have,
by treating it as casually as I can,

to speak of it like it does nothing to you,
does not faze you,
does not make every fiber of your skin feel like it’s not yours,
that it doesn’t haunt you into your everyday,

that you don’t want people comforting you,
telling you every little thing you’ve managed to do,
with the life, you’ve been handed,
is courageous,

that the sacrifices you make,
that the pain you hide,
that the anger you keep inside,
only so no one else feels this way,
is a sign of strength,

its easier to let yourself believe you are no different,
that the life you’ve lived is just as normal as everyone else’s
that the lessons you’ve learned,
the maturity you’ve gained,

isn’t from having to grow up faster than one should,
isn’t from having to learn to survive,
isn’t from having to walk through your personal hell,
and have days where you think you’ve reached heaven,
only to be brought back from your delusion,

everyday.

I am strong,

And it’s about time I saw myself that way.