I spent much of my life surviving. I lost my mother at eight, grew up around addiction and instability, and learned very young to become whoever I needed to be to make it through. I didn’t realize those different parts of me were still living in survival, even after the danger had passed. For years, I believed I needed to overcome who I had been in order to heal. But everything changed when I stopped asking, “What’s wrong with me?” and began asking, “What happened to me—and what have I been carrying all this time?” My story is about discovering that healing isn’t becoming someone new or leaving your past self behind. It’s understanding everything that helped you survive, bringing yourself back together, and finally finding peace within.