When you hear the term "promise ring," your first thought is "a couple making a commitment." Which is correct, although the meaning of a promise ring is a couple making a promise to each other.

Promising that they'll do certain things for their loved one. And the most important is promising that they are in this for the long run and one day down the road they intend to get married.

I, personally don't have anything against promise rings, in fact, I think it's a beautiful and meaningful thing between two people who love each other. Although, I have seen people give their significant other a promise ring and make promises that they don't keep.

Yeah, sometimes things don't work out, which is a different story but, other times people don't like to keep their word.

Now, I have never been in a serious relationship enough to receive a promise ring. So, last year on Valentine's Day, I thought I'd be cheesy and buy myself a promise ring. Why?

Before I give you the backstory to what led me to buy myself a promise ring, in my opinion, buying it has been the best decision I have ever made.

I feel that the meaning of buying this ring for myself is so much more powerful and has a lot of meaning than someone else giving it to you. Of course, I'm not saying that your significant other didn't mean it, but if you are like me and have struggled with self-love. This ring is a reminder of everything you have promised yourself.

Here's my story:

Over the past few years, I've been struggling with learning how to love and accept my flaws. It all started when I failed my hearing test in elementary school, I was 8 years old when I first found out I needed hearing aids. I needed a teacher of the deaf and hearing aids. My first hearing aids had a wire that was visible, it looked like I had headphones in all the time. At first, I didn't care, I thought it was awesome because I was finally able to hear everything that was going on around me. Although, that happiness that I thought I felt, didn't last long once I started to get bullied.

I hated that I was different from everyone else, I wanted to be like everyone else, I wanted to be "normal." In my own way, I felt ugly as a person because not only did I have hearing aids but as I got older, I needed other "fixes" such as glasses and braces. It wasn't an easy feeling and looking different from everyone in my school. It was was harder when everyone would make you feel bad for being different.

Little did I know that having a hearing disability was the most unique and beautiful thing about me.

The older I got and the harder it was for me to hear without my hearing aids, I knew that this was something that I was going to have for the rest of my life. I told myself, I needed to use my hearing aids no matter how much I hated them because at the end of the day, hearing what's going on is what's going to help me.

Slowly I started to gain a bit of confidence in myself and about of my hearing disability.

But, that didn't solve anything, I still felt ugly about myself as a person.

I felt even more ugly and disgusting when I was sexually assaulted about two years ago. From the moment it happened I never thought that I was a victim of sexual assault until I told my best friend about it.

I kept telling myself, "you could have stopped it," "it's all your fault," "you deserved what happened" I was so scared to say anything to anyone because I didn't want any trouble. Instead of talking to someone about it, I was fighting and blaming myself that it was my fault. Even though deep down I knew it wasn't my fault at all. And I sure didn't deserve it, nobody does!

I let all my negative thoughts about that event get the best of me. I couldn't focus in class, there were days where I just didn't want to get up and go to class. I would distance myself from my friends and just lock myself in the room.

I knew I couldn't continue to put a wall up between me and everyone else. So, I decided to get up and talk about it with my counselor.

It was the best and right thing to do for myself.

It was the best not because I was being forced to talk about that experience but, because I was able to tell my counselor what I wanted to gain after my sessions. I wanted to be able to wake up one day and not think about that moment. To finally accept it. Yes, it was an awful experience but, maybe I can learn from it. Maybe I could help others who have been in the same shoes as I was. That's what I wanted to gain after my sessions.

Slowly with the help of my friends, and my counselor I started to get back up on my feet and becoming myself again.

I was going to my classes, seeing my friends again and doing things I would normally do. I even started to get into fitness, going to the gym 4 days a week. I saw how much I was improving and how happy I was becoming again. I knew I needed to do something to reward myself but, I didn't know what.

I started thinking about what could I do. One day I stayed up late writing all the things I want to do, achieve and all the things I want to improve on.

That's when I knew I was going to buy myself a promise ring.

Every time I see this ring on my finger, I remind myself of all the promises I made. Promises such as, I need to remind myself every single day I am beautiful even when I don't feel it. That there will be some days where bad things will happen but, there is always something good in every single day. I need to look at the bright side, instead of focusing on all the negative.

Promise rings don't always have to be given by your significant other. If you want to get yourself one, go for it! Remind yourself what you're worth. Remind yourself all the things you want to accomplish with a small gesture.

That you are beautiful in your own way and it's okay to be different. Being different is beautiful and that's what makes you who you are.

My disability is different but, it's what makes me Yenery and I am proud of it despite that I may have to do things differently from everyone else.