My person is not a little hard core
inside of me,
a little fully formed statue,
that is permanent and fixed,
brittle and rigid,
unchangeable and sore.

My person rather implies,
a dynamic process,
a flexible course,
a steady increase.

In other words,
if you knew me yesterday,
please do not think
that it´s the same person
that you´re meeting today.

I’ve experienced
more of life and more of God. I have grown in faith and in love.

Each yesterday has brought me new lessons.

Each present has opened my reserve and revealed a stronger faith,

and each tomorrow is holding a more precious promise and a bigger hope.
I’ve encountered
new depths
in those I love,
I’ve achieved
acceptance of what I have,
I’ve silenced and quieted 
many thunders and weathered many storms,
I’ve threaded rocky paths,
I’ve uncovered both troubled waters and calm ponds,
I’ve discovered fresh strengths in who I am. And have experienced many failures to get to where I should be. 

I have seen the good and the not so good in me.

I have seen me fall and seen me rise.

I have witnessed my successes and my failures.

I’ve grown more humble as well as more proud of the lessons I have been taught and the gifts that I have been given.
I’ve fallen
I’ve risen
I’ve cried
I’ve laughed
I’ve prayed
And I’m different.

Approach me then,
with a sense of wonder,
take a pause,
study my face, my hand,
my voice, my person,
for signs of change.
For it’s certain,
that I’ve changed.

– adapted from John Powell.