Even when I get on airplanes, very often, as I walk down the aisle, I notice a lot of people staring or whispering. I recognize the fact that yes, to a lot of people, I will always be that 14-year-old girl who was kidnapped and who was held captive.

My parents have raised me to believe in a kind and a loving God and someone who cares about me, who is always there for me, and who would never wish harm or illness or any kind of tragedy upon me.

I see myself as a survivor, and I'm not ashamed to say I'm a survivor. To me, survivor implies strength, implies that I have been through something and I made it out the other side.

Elizabeth Smart Quotes