I purchased the Continue strap because I've always wanted a symbol of what I've overcome in my past, and I've thought for a while of getting a tattoo of the semicolon as that is a well-known symbol for what I faced. I saw the strap and knew it was for me. I am 47 years old, and my "pause" really started in the late 90's when I got sick, and that physical sickness spiraled into deep depression, which only furthered the cycle. I had convinced myself that my children, young at the time, would be better off without me in their world. I was a failure, words carried from childhood into my adulthood especially now that my illness and pain kept me from accomplishing anything out in the world. I was finally able to find help through DBT counseling, it changed my life - mainly, because I learned to LOVE myself. I know that learning to love myself fully and unconditionally saved my life, my mind - body - spirit, my marriage, and put me on the road to help other people. I graduated last year 2017 as an Integrative Healing Arts Practitioner, and I help people learn to love themselves now, how to become resilient, and how to reprogram all that negative self-chatter that is so detrimental. My pause lasted decades, but it's time for me to make up for what I missed, and if I can help just one person CONTINUE the way someone showed me how to keep going, then I will have accomplished my life purpose. This strap is a daily reminder of where I am going, and how much I've grown. Thank you for this reminder.
