If you  read "more Beautiful to Be," chances are that you will leave this ePortfolio knowing more of my secrets than I would normally feel comfortable sharing upon a first meeting. For most of my life, I thought these things were ugly. I thought they made me ugly. I also believed that the secrets I felt shame towards had power over me and that they defined me. 

By revealing them through my writing, I am choosing to believe that while I do have secrets (or at least, I used to), they can no longer define me. By sharing them with you, they have lost their power; however, I don't you want to leave with the impression that they don't matter. My past has shaped, and will continue to shape, the woman I am. 

I write because through writing, I feel powerful.