"Through reflection I have learned that although the past cannot be changed, those times are when we learn our most precious lessons: it is important we continue to pull through. I know that something in me said I wasn’t done.

I have learned – that we will only fail when we quit; that bitterness shows us where we need to heal – that maturity isn’t always about the years and that patience is about keeping a good attitude. That although we are responsible for our own anger – we mustn’t ignore but must own – and work through what we feel. With reflection, YOU PLACE THINGS.

Reflection teaches you that just because someone is silent doesn’t mean they have nothing to say. That kindness, compassion, tolerance and empathy must be honed, because you never know when you need those back. That we can still grow spiritually and mentally through trauma – and that all is not lost.

I have also learned that no response is a powerful response, and that sometimes it is the only response needed. We don’t have to have the last word to feel empowered. That courage is us coming through fear and is about us not giving up.

Through reflection, I have also learned a lot about myself and about others who were part of my life. That I could only change myself, and that whilst others needed to change, they need to change so that things could have been done differently."