“I refuse to let my past control my present. I grew up, I grew stronger, I overcame it. End of story. From the time I was old enough to realize my issues weren’t my fault, I’d decided not to shift the blame to other people, but to get rid of it. Throw it out. Move on. I could imagine no fate worse than becoming someone who tells the story of their dysfunctional childhood to every stranger on the bus. My past was a private obstacle, not a public excuse.”

-Danielle Dewey-