Dear bully,

I will not say thank you, I will not thank you for the countless times you picked on me and called me names. I will not say thank you for the hours I spent in my room crying or the tears that ran down my face on the way home. I will not sit here and say thank you for making me grow as a person and build my self-esteem back up after you tore it down. You did not help me, you did not “teach me a lesson”, you hurt me, kicked me down and I had to help myself back up.

I still don’t know why you chose me to pick on, maybe it was just because I was there; maybe you were too insecure of your own problems; maybe your life was just too boring and you needed something fun to do. Whatever it was, you chose me, and although I hated it, I’m glad it wasn’t someone else. I would never wish to put someone through that pain.

You knew what I was insecure of and what hurt me and you used it against me. You got your friends to join in on the jokes and play along. You physically, mentally, and emotionally broke me down. I thought I was never going to come back from where I was, and I truly believed that I was never going to be happy again.

Then something happened, something clicked in my mind and I didn’t care anymore. I didn’t care that you called me names or that people were talking about me behind my back. I knew who I was and I didn’t need anyone bringing me down anymore. You continued to pick on me but one day you realized that your words didn’t faze me anymore. And suddenly, I rode the bus home and you didn't say anything to me. You didn’t look at me or call me names or have your friends play jokes on me. It happened one day, and then the next, and then every day after that. You were done bullying me. I don’t really know what happened, maybe someone finally said something or you realized you were wrong, but I didn’t care because I could finally breathe again, I finally felt safe.

I continued going to school with you until we graduated and walked across the same stage, I watched you become “popular” and get along with everyone, I heard about who you were dating and how well you played in the basketball game the night before. You would smile with your friends in the hall, and put your head down when you saw me. You knew you had broken me and made middle school a living hell. You haven’t said anything to me since eighth grade and I don’t plan to hear anything from you anytime soon.

You did not make me realize who I was or how to overcome obstacles I have to face. I did that by myself, you may have been the cause of my pain and suffering but I was the one to go past that and only worry about me. You did not help me become the person I am today, I did, all by myself.

I will not thank you for hurting me. I will thank myself for getting passed it.