Nightfall used to fill me with fear. When I was just about school age, my entire body would swell. I used to wake up blind for a short period of time, so going to bed became that much more terrifying. The darkness represented the unknowable future.

Now, as the day is released to the brilliance of the moon and stars, I find myself enveloped in a peaceful serenity that allows me to reflect on and appreciate life and the people around me. Now that I’ve made it through, and I am on the other side, I have more appreciation for those times. I recognize the journey that shaped me.