I am a worthwhile person

My step mom is an amazing Iroquois woman. She’s the one I turn to for wisdom, guidance, unconditional love and support. She always knows the right things to say and do. I admire the brave ways she practices self-love. When she introduces herself to a crowd, she says her name followed by ‘and I’m a worthwhile person.’ She is. I am. You are. But how often do we actually acknowledge that?  

What I didn’t know about her was that she is a Residential School survivor. When the TRC Report came out, I guess she finally felt like sharing her story. It was time. She says she was lucky because an older girl at the school used to take the heat off her. She had gotten used to the abuse so she would sacrifice herself to save the younger ones. She told me that she wished she could remember that girl’s name to thank her. At the time it happened, she was too young to understand, but looking back she realized what this girl had done to protect her.

My stepmom has had a crazy life — the kind that you hear about in movies. Her tale of survival did not end after she left the school. She has survived all kinds of dangerous places, people and situations. She is just so strong. She tells me that she acknowledges her worth because it took her a long time and a lot of pain to realize how amazing she is. If she can survive all the things she went through and still know how to love herself and others unconditionally, then I can too.

I am a worthwhile person and so are you.