Gratitude for the Worst of Times

Strangely, I’ve been feeling a deep sense of gratitude when I look back at the most difficult times of my life. It’s not the kind of gratitude that erases the pain or sugarcoats the suffering—it’s a quiet, reverent acknowledgment of how far I’ve come on this healing journey.

Had I not survived those nightmarish chapters, I wouldn’t have gained the hard-won wisdom I carry with me now. The lessons I’ve learned—about compassion, forgiveness, and healing through loving kindness—are treasures I couldn’t have acquired any other way.

Those dark times didn’t just break me down; they shaped me. They equipped me with strength, resilience, and perspectives that serve me—and those around me—every single day. I’ve learned how to sit with pain, how to offer empathy without judgment, and how to find peace even in the messiest moments. These aren’t lessons you learn from a book. These are soul lessons, earned through experience, through survival, through grace.

And so, I find myself grateful for the scrappy, awkward girl who mucked through hell just to give me a shot at this peaceful existence. She fought battles no one saw, held on when it would’ve been easier to let go, and kept moving forward when the future felt like a blur. I honor her. I thank her. Because of her, I can breathe deeply today. I can rest. I can love. I can live.

If you’re in a hard season right now, I want to say this: it won’t always feel this way. One day, you might look back—not with bitterness, but with gratitude for the hard times that revealed your own inner strength and led you toward personal growth and mental health recovery. Be gentle with the version of you who’s fighting today. They are paving the way for a future you who will know peace.