“It’s not what happens to you that defines who you are, it’s ultimately your decisions.” - Elizabeth Smart There are a lot of heartbreaking things that happen in this world. I’m sure you have your own stories. Being a victim doesn’t end with the event. It continues on for a lifetime. In the end, you have no control over what happened to you. There’s no going back. What you do have control over is the decisions you make on the other side -- how you let these tragedies affect you. You need to not only stay strong but also learn to forgive. When I say this, I say it from personal experience. I have gone through abuse when I was younger, and I understand how it can disrupt you to your core. But forgiveness isn’t for them. It’s for you. Forgiveness doesn’t mean what happened is ok. It doesn’t mean you let go of what happened and consider everything to be just fine. It doesn’t eliminate what happened. Forgiveness is about allowing yourself to move forward as a better person. It’s about ...