My Resilient Heart
“Love bears all the happiness and all the pain; true satisfaction will come from loving another with all
your heart.” My girlfriend Emily always told me to remember that because it symbolically embodies the
genius essence of life. Those words still echo through my head like ringing chime bells lost in the mist.
She had never hurt another soul, this living testimony of loving kindness. Then it happened. She
suddenly left me one afternoon; no opportunity for goodbye, no wave or hug.
Looking back over my freshman year of high school, I remember the daily fear of being bullied or picked
on, like I had to deal with during my middle school years. Until one day I met the most amazing girl ever
— Emily. My anxiety levels would rise to a new high every time she boarded the bus, and I would
consider having a conversation with her. One day, Emily sat on the bus next to me and I was forced to
speak with her (so she didn’t think I was some antisocial freak). As we talked, my anxiety lessoned and a
friendship blossomed. Toward the middle of my freshman year, I finally gathered up enough courage to
ask her out. Not too long afterward we made the choice to move to an exclusive relationship, and she
became my girlfriend.
We spent almost every day together, and in simple ways Emily helped me become a better person. She
always made me feel valued, especially when I was feeling worthless and like I had nothing to offer. I
now recognize how truly blessed I was by having Emily by my side every day; even when sometimes I
acted like a complete idiot, and treated her like she wasn’t cherished by me. There was a period of time
that I even put her through a complete emotional hell. Yet she stayed faithful, and modeled how self-
value is so important – that others’ decisions do not dictate who you are, only your own choices.
