When I was young, I was happy, healthy, and had the ideal “skinny” figure. I grew up in a world where fat was gross and skinny was gorgeous. My family, we always had weight issues,  ate junk food, and addiction problems. Starting from first grade I experienced severe bullying that started with verbal abuse and later escalated into physical abuse. As this was occurring, I started to find comfort and confidence in food. As close as I was to my parents, I never spoke to them about what I was going through. I felt they would think that it was ridiculous the things I would go through just to stay home away from my tormentors. Ranging from things like drinking hot water to make myself throw up just to stay home. 

      Time went on and as soon as I knew it, I was gaining 40 pounds every 6 months. I couldn’t stop; junk food became my only escape. Bullying just continued to worsen where I would leave bruises and be asked, “Just go do the world a favor and kill yourself” or my favorite, “You can’t sit here, you’ll take up two seats”. I have always felt out of place in school from my weight but little did they know they are the reason I am like this. Feeling out of place brought me a lot of pain and mental disabilities but the most important aspect of it all has taught me many lessons. 

      My experience of being left out and rejected over my weight has taught me things, that not even I have noticed till just recently. With those lessons learned, needed to come optimism and self-acceptance. Things I never could see eye to eye from being blinded by hate were that I am more acceptant of minorities and can relate to their stories in my own way. I find different people inspiring and beyond this idea we have of “beautiful”. I can now see that this 9-year experience has taught me to know my real friends, to have a motivation for my education, and to know family is above everything. This experience allowed to become closer to my faith and given me an understanding to not be a bystander and to make a change. It has given me challenges and obstacles in more ways you can ever understand unless you were me. I may be different now but it is okay because how I see it, it has opened my eyes to an infinite number of possibilities. This hatred may have been used as a weapon to knock me down but it has shaped me into who I today.