Life is full of trouble and difficulties, but it is also full of beauty and joy. Every day you face your own set of problems. Every day, you deal with these issues, struggling through them, working to survive and become a stronger and better person. People who have survived difficult or terrible things have much to teach us. Facing cancer, natural disasters, domestic abuse, and violence, these survivors' lives have been changed forever. As they dealt with their experiences, they discovered things about their own lives and their view of the world changed. What possible good could come out of such things? What could we learn from those who have survived these things? The skills these survivors have learned from their experiences can give you the tools to deal with the struggles and difficulties you face in your own life. The things they have gone through are often terrible, but they have chosen to learn from them and grow through them, finding hope and something positive in the middle of pain and disaster....

School is supposed to be a safe place where students and their friends can study and learn about the world around them. But what about when it isn't safe? School shootings like those in Columbine and Virginia Tech have made many fearful about what might happen at school. For others, bullying has made school a nightmare place they dread going to every day. What have those who survived situations like these done with their experiences? How have they used their pain to grow into stronger people, to reach out to others in need, to change the world a little bit? Trying to make something good out of their traumatic experience is part of the healing process for many survivors. Here, you can read about survivors of school shootings and how they have responded to their situation. You can read about some of the many people who dealt with cruel bullying during their time at school, but who overcame this and went on to find success in their lives. These survivors have a message for each of you, a message of hope that's important whether or not you ever experience the kinds of things they have gone through....