We all experience hardships at one point or another in our lives.
Our task, our responsibility actually, is to do our best to not pass these hardships on to others.
This is no easy feat.
We did not become who we are overnight.
It may take us a lifetime to uncover, understand, and resolve the negative experiences that have shaped our character and that influence the way that we interact with others.
While these experiences may explain certain things about us and our relationships, they do not excuse us from trying to do better.
We must try to do better.
Whatever we have been through, no matter how traumatic, is likely not our fault, but, perhaps more importantly, it is also not the fault of the people who have come into our lives since.
As terrible and unfortunate as our experiences may have been in our past, the people in our present do not deserve to suffer because to them.
The people in our lives deserve better from us than the worst of our experiences.
If we hope to live happy, fulfilling lives with relationships to match, we will have to figure out a way to be for others who others were not for us.
This will be difficult and, at times, it will not feel fair, but this is our only chance to transcend our pain and transform it into love.