22 Sep Humans of IEEC, #1.

(Moa, 20, from Amsterdam)

“What’s the story behind the tattoo on your wrist?”

-“A year ago I broke up with my boyfriend. I loved him very much. I thought we were soul mates.  He was the only person who I could share everything with, without insecurities. But he didn’t want to be with me anymore. This was a real shock to me because I thought everything was going well. One night (after we broke up) he told me that he did not want to wake up next to me anymore. He said he did not want to have breakfast with me anymore, or to be in the same house with me anymore.

I was so depressed, I couldn’t eat, I barely slept. I lost 12 kilos in 1 month. I started to get panic attacks. Physically things started to get bad as well. I started to get heart problems. Eventually I was hospitalized. They put me on a heart monitor for 5 days. I was literally heartbroken.  When I came back from the hospital there was a letter on my table, from my boyfriend. In the letter he wrote that he was in a relationship with my best friend. At that moment something inside me snapped. I felt like I wanted to die. I didn’t know what to do with myself anymore. I didn’t see a way out if it. I realized that I needed to change my attitude in order to be healthy (mentally and physically).  I needed to focus on the positive things in life.

That’s when I got my tattoo (of the moon). It symbolizes that whenever there is darkness all around you, there’s always that little something that gives light and you should focus on that. After I got this tattoo, I started doing things for myself. I started to work out a lot, and put more focus on my photography, music and my other dreams in life. That saved me. I now know that no matter what happens in your life, stay positive. As of that day, I will always remain positive in life. That’s why you will never hear me nag, complain, or in any way being negative, any day in my life again.”