My, how the time flies by!

To think that only just a year ago, I was living in a motel with my mother as we had become, essentially, homeless. To think that a year ago, things were looking like a dead end for me. I had lost essentially 80% of my friends at school and only had my friends Nowie & Shelby and Mellissa to hang out with. I stopped caring about school and pretty much stopped caring about everything else as well. To think that just a year ago, I had no idea whether or not my mother would have a proper and traditional Christmas.

A year later, after all that, I'm surrounded by people who care about me and who love me for me. To think that a year later, I would finally decide what career I want to pursue. A year later, I have become a stronger individual and at least have become more mature in my decisions and have started taking responsibility for my actions if I have done something wrong - or I try to, which counts for something (practice makes perfect!). To think that a year later, I would start pulling A's in school that I don't even know where they came from.

To think that a year later, I'm still alive.

I guess this blog post is kind of a sequel to my blog post - which was more of a spiteful rant than a thought-provoking speech - and as I write this, it sinks in more and more how blessed I am to be surrounded by such kind, caring people. I guess the drama that I put up with at least seven months ago was a transition period for me, and now I'm where I want to be and I'm not so quick to think the worst of people.

I guess, in essence, I just want to say thank-you to everyone who has been there for me and has made me realize how great life really is.


So, to anyone who is reading this and has been a vital part of my life... Thank you. You don't know how much I appreciate everything you've done for me, even if it was just small talk. It lets me know that people do notice me.

Stay gold, everyone. Life is too short to let the smallest things bother you...
- Colten.
xoxo