Dear high school bully,
You made my high school years a living hell. I would cry and scream, but nothing stopped the pain that you brought me. The worst part was you were supposed to be my teammate, not a negative force that constantly put me down. “Sam, you suck! Just quit already!” “Why are you even here?” “No one likes you.” I still hear these phrases occasionally playing over and over in my head. You definitely succeeded at getting into my head. Congratulations.
I wish I knew one thing: What did I do to make you hate me so much? All I wanted to do was play the sport I love with the people I love. Instead, I would dread going to practice and go home and cry to my mom because I felt like I did not belong, and that I was not good enough. I started to hate the sport that I had loved for 15 long years. I started to lose all confidence in myself. My mom always told me to hang in there and to keep going because things will get better. Well you know what? I could no longer take it. You turned me into someone I hate…a quitter. I quit the team halfway through the season my junior year, and I did not play my senior year because you made me despise everything about basketball. You made me feel like s**t about myself and took away the one thing I loved the most…the one thing that would allow me to escape…the one thing that made me truly happy. But I guess that is partly my fault, huh? I didn’t fight back. I didn’t have the strength too back then. Once again, you succeeded. Congratulations.
As much as I HATE what you did to me, I want to thank you. You made me a stronger, smarter, and kinder person. I stand up for myself and I know how to cut those out of my life that do nothing but bring me down. I also have such a kind and compassionate heart and I would do anything for anyone. All the hate you threw at me, developed into love the older I became. In high school I would cry, but now I take those bad experiences and turn them into something positive. And the best part of it all is I forgive you. I forgive you for every word you said to me. I forgive you for all the tears. I hope life has been good to you and I hope one day you see how great I am doing and I want you to know that you helped me. You left your mark. Once again…
Congratulations
