When I went to elementary school things were great, friends were abundant. Fun times were had and peer pressure was non-existent. My parents got divorced some time in the fifth grade and I got very depressed. I stopped hanging out with the kids and that made me different. Middle school and High school came and I was still introverted. That made me a target. I was bullied constantly. I was punched, slapped, called everything in the book, and the friends that I had weren't much help, nor I to them, as we were all getting bullied. I was told by my parents to fight back, but if I did, I was the one that dealt with the consequence of lashing out. I became more confused, lost, and ever more depressed. I turned to drugs and alcohol. At one point, I attempted suicide with a gun that thankfully never fired. I quit school, not because I didn't understand or cared about the material they were teaching, but to just get away from the daily pain.

Since leaving, I was able to recover with therapy, love from my family, and finding and outlet that didn't involved drugs or alcohol. I got married, have a beautiful son, and am in college looking to get a degree in Wildlife Biology. Life is hard, but WAY better.

I feel sorry for kids today. I give anything to stop the hurt of out kids and the bullying they endure. All I can say is that bullied kids become stronger later in life than the ones do the bullying. I hate that fact, but I'm stronger today than I ever was in school. I made it through the most difficulty time in my young life. Which allows me to see that I can endure most anything. 

Hang in there kids. I promise you, life gets better. WAY BETTER!!!