Old Meets New [meme]

"You don't have to fake strength! Just moving forward is being strong." is probably the advice I would give to my middle school self. I started art around my last year of middle school, when I was trying to find different ways to distract myself from the loss of my mom. I made my first OC freshman year of high school, ultimately the first design of Rin, and I'm glad I've continued art this long.
I've grown since then, I really have.
To me this feels like a freshman year meets senior year, now that I've become who I am.
I never used to cry in front of anyone after my mom passed, because I never wanted to be worried about, babied, or seen as weak. I hate being seen as those things, and I hated myself when I broke down. I used to "fake strength"
But I'm... happy. Like, it seems like I've been happy all of high school as I went through it, but I feel more certain and at peace with myself. I was so self-conscious and unsure of myself throughout all of school since the first year, really.
But I can see my future, so that really means more than anything to me. I'm strong now that I've moved forward. There's a world of difference between me now and me then.

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