The state of being when in the darkness is a place of learning and unlearning. My shadow was a battle I had been fighting and running away from. Until I realized, I needed to face the darkness and shake hands with it, committing to understand the layers. I realized it was not my enemy, but a gift of many hardships that I needed to overcome. It had served a purpose in my life, that is true. It had made me stronger, wiser, empathetic and enlightened. For since I lived in darkness, I saw how bright the light was. I learned that the baggage I had been carrying was only weighing me down. I was fueled by emptiness and I wanted to be full again. So I learned how to let go and release the lessons that no longer served a purpose in my life. I awoke to a new life filled with love and light that understood how purely magical this place of being is, after living in such tragic days of suppression and worry. I realized how my present moment is where I need to be, rather than feeling lost in the past or unknown future. I let go of my baggage and felt free, knowing where I was and where I had come from. I chose to never return, but continue to heal till all the pieces are mended.