I want to thank you
for all the times you urged that I was better
than I thought I was, than I dreamed I could be.
I want to thank you
for all the times you pushed me to move on when I thought I was content
just staying where was safe, where was comfortable, rather than exploring the dangers outside of
my bubble.
I know I disappointed you when I said I would change
when I just stayed the same, saying things you wanted to hear -
when I pushed back in defiance, wondering why I couldn’t just be me,
angry that you couldn’t accept that, when you simply saw something
greater.
I have finally, after all these years, seen that spark in myself
that you once saw.
I want to thank you for being an advocate for my
silence – you were my voice before
I learned to speak.

08/18/2012