What are you most proud of?

I had the courage to walk away with nothing.

I am married to my best friend. He is just... my match. I love him more than everything. We've known each other since we were 10 and have been good friends for it seems like forever. We've seen each other go through uncountable ups and downs over the last 20 years.

But, he isn't my first husband; I was married to another man before him for nearly 10 years.

10 years of being told I wasn't good enough, smart enough, pretty enough, strong enough. 10 years of being pushed and pulled. 10 years of hearing my friends were terrible people and I was just as terrible for loving them. 10 years of threats and control.

"If you leave you're never going to amount to anything."

"If you leave you'll be alone forever."

"If you leave you won't be taking anything with you."

And one day, I woke up and said to him, "Ok. Keep it all."

Keep the couch and the china. Keep the savings account and the car. Keep the insults. Keep your lies and keep your hands off of me.

And I left. I built a new life. When I left I grew new life! I was me again!

I was happy for the first time in a long time and I fell in love requited. In what seems like a whirlwind now, the years after that day include a love, a marriage, a home, happiness, a baby, another baby, and yes, another baby...

Because I finally had the courage to walk away with nothing, I gained so much more.