you are absolutely welcome! I hope all is well, and may you have a blessed day. You were given obstacles because God knew you could handle them. Yes it is hard, but you are a very strong woman from what I see, with all you have endured. I hope this made your day a bit better 🙂

Wow! You sound like a powerhouse. I have been on tinybuddha for a month now, and your story touches me especially because I myself have been through similar things you have. I’m usually not that good with encouraging others, but you are strong and i commend you. Im 18, youre a few years older than me, and if I knew you, I would see you as a role model. You acknowledge your issues, which takes A LOT, you are honest with yourself, but I cant help but feel bad that you sell yourself short. You are strong, beautiful and PLEASE do not let anyone or anything make you feel any different. Everybody in life has a story, and you never know who may be touched by your story. You are a veryyyyy inspiring person, and I think things for you will get better. TinyBuddha is a blessing for a lot of us. Whenever you feel things are getting a little to hectic, just know the people on the forums [here] will always be here to give kind, guiding words. I hope this helped!!

One of my biggest fears is growing old and not knowing my purpose or to have never been comfortable with myself. Im 18, and one my aunts would always call me an old soul. After finding out what that meant, I realized I was. I could never understand why I was not interested in partying, why I was not boy crazy like all my friends, why I was made fun of because my old-fashion way of seeing life. Now that I’m in college, I’m finding out more about myself and it scares me sometimes. Society can be critical to anybody who is outside the ‘norm’. I want to be comfortable in my own skin. Its so cool to see people who just dont care about what people think; I envy those people. When I try to tell my “friends” I want to find my purpose, they laugh at me or call me ‘momma goose.’ We’re taught to go to school, get an education, get married, and have children, but nobody told me how to find myself and just be happy with me. Outside forces like social networking sites, make me feel even more like an ‘outcast’ because I do not use them, because I do not like what they represent. I currently am out of school, and spending a few weeks by myself. I want to become comfortable by myself, without any chaotic forces. If only there were NO negative influences that would make everybody who is deemed an ‘outcast’ feel so much more comfortable. Its kinda funny because, as I got older, I always thought everybody found their purpose once they were 18. Once I turned 18, I didnt know my purpose. I have so many questions about like, but I dont know any of the answers.