A letter from April 20th, 2018

Dear FutureMe, I hope as you read this letter that your circumstances have changed. I hope the pain, heartbreak and anger have subsided; and the feeling that you are drowning and struggling against an anchor, pulling you down has passed. As I write this letter I reflect on the past twelve months, and how the dark days have far outnumbered the light. I want to remind you that wherever you are when you receive this letter, that everything that occurred with Housing Plus was not your fault. You stood your ground, fought gallantly and never sought more than was fair and equitable. You held your own and did so in a way that you can always be proud of, no matter what the outcome was. You've been through a lot over the years and the last twelve months, whilst being the most challenging and difficult to overcome, have shaped you into another version of yourself. Stronger, wiser, tougher and kinder than the version before. I hope as you read this letter that your career is booming, you are an ambitious committed person and I hope that your drive remains full-speed. But I also hope there is someone in your life to share the load, guide you through the dark days, and embrace the lights days with both hands. As I write this letter my greatest fear is that what I have experienced over the last twelve months will haunt me forever, that it will define who I am, and that I may always be affected by the events. I hope for you that Housing Plus is a distant memory; and that you are able to move forward and begin to recall the good not just the bad. Because there was so much good, even greatness. The greatness is what made the bad hurt so much, you had experience greatness and the sorrow was unbearable because of it. As I write I am still grieving for my old life, an innocence I possessed before all the ugliness. I will never be able to retrieve my innocence but I hope that you have learnt to trust again, believe in the good in people, and live a truly work/life balanced life. I have spent the last nine-years working incredibly hard, believing there was a purpose to it all, that loyalty meant something and sacrifices lead to rewards. But I have learnt that this is not true. As I begin my new venture, I desperately hope that my business becomes successful and that I am able to fully-sustain myself from the profits. There is not a lot in this world that I can control, but my dedication, commitment and hard work to ensure Element's success I can. I am done placing my success in the hands of others, I intend to put everything into Element so I am able to stand tall and know that I achieved despite everything that has happened, everything that has been said, I know my value and I hope you do too. Warm Regards, Emma