What Freedom Feels Like

As I raise my head proudly to the cloudless blue sky,
The cool breeze feels so good that I softly sigh.
While I think of all the good things that have come to pass,
My pumping heart and thoughtful mind begin going too fast.
Remembering that not long ago I was tightly bound and chained;
As if a single ray from the sun couldn't pierce the clouds and rain.
Reliving how cold and lost I felt showed that my life was like night.
It were as though I was lost in the dark and couldn't find the light.
Returning my mind back to the ways that used to rule my life,
I find yet another of my mistakes that eventually caused me strife.
Sifting through all my memories show me the now bitter truth;
My 'perfect' life was torn and ragged, totally uncouth.
Recalling in my mind the shriveled form that's who I used to be
Makes me think back to all the people who helped me begin to see.
Knowing that because of them, I built up the courage to come
Out of my shell and show the world where I was really from.
Coming back to the present, I feel a smile dawn upon my face.
For it's times like these that I wouldn't trade to be in any place.
It's realizing that times, both good and bad, can improve with the gift of giving.
Those memories, along with all my new ones, show me life is truly worth living.