16 Finding heaven

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Mood: swipe left and tap the media box above to listen to Girl On Fire by Alicia Keys.

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Lydia

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Lydia

I felt like I was in heaven in my first year of college. I was liberated and set free from high school hell. After a summer of therapy and healing with a fantastic psychologist, I was no longer weighed down by the guilt and shame of prom night.

Prom night was a living hell for me that I had to relive day after day until I found help through Dr. Olivia Sykes. Prom was supposed to be a happy experience. I could never have that back because that happy experience was taken away from me.

Dr. Sykes helped me overcome the trauma that I suffered. It was the emotional damage that needed healing, an imprint that would remain with me for the rest of my life. Devon took no personal responsibility for what he did to me, which was callous and cruel.

The best thing I could do for myself was to move on and live each day as if it was the best day of my life. Life is short, and I had to make the most of it. Devon may have taken away my dignity, but I would not let him take away my life. I had a right to enjoy living life to the fullest.

I was not going to be led by emotional eating, dieting, or binge-eating. If I felt the rush or urge to hurt myself that way, I had to do something positive. My positive channel was through poetry and Pilates. Going for walks also helped me connect with the world and focus on more positive thoughts. I fell in the mud and owed it to myself to get out of the mud and wash it off.

Here I was at Willington State University. I felt like a new me, and each day ahead was a new day. The sun was shining, and I had only opportunities ahead of me. I was free to be whoever I wanted to be in the sea of students on campus. Each face I passed had their own sad story. I was not the only one. I was a survivor.

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Shortly into my first semester, I started dating again. I felt like exactly what I was-a first-year university student stepping into the world and enjoying all the activities around me. I was enjoying my life.

"Lydia, I've never seen you smile so much," Kathleen said.

Kathleen was an archaeology student whose room was across the hall from mine. She was five feet eleven and had an impressive, voluptuous figure. She wasn't afraid to show her size 14 curves with her fantastic sense of style. Her green eyes contrasted with her straight blonde hair and pale skin. She was warm but direct and honest. She had a positive outlook on life and a great sense of humor. We clicked right away and became close friends.

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