It has been a rough six months my friends and most of you haven’t been around to see it. But to the friends who have stayed by my side to see my growth and root for me along the way, I have no words for how crucial you have been to my recovery. How very much you have been appreciated even when it isn’t obvious. And to one little blond girl in particular, I love you to death and thank you from the bottom of my heart. Champions!! —A New Me
This article appears in Mar 20-26, 2014.