I Choose to Remember

 I choose to remember you

Not by how you hurt me

But by how you taught me to heal

Not by how you left me

But by how you taught me to never abandon myself 

Not by how you broke me

But by how you taught me to rebuild myself 

Not by how you dimmed my light  

But by how you helped me to shine 

Not by how you kept me trapped in a place of comfort 

But by how you empowered me to leave my comfort zone 

Not by how you left me feeling weak

But by how you taught me what it means to be strong 

Not by how you tried to control me 

But by how you taught me to be free

Not by who you told me who I was

But by how you taught me to define myself 

And above all

I choose to remember you 

Not by how you were unable to love me 

But by how you taught me 

To love myself. 

~Tahlia Hunter