Imagine is a verb which means to form a mental image.  Replacement is a noun which means to take place of.  The two words are greatly used together, maybe not all, but half of us have done this without knowing.  What I am saying is this - we imagine something to replace the hurt or denial we are in.  Once there was a young man named Derrick, and best believe Derrick has been through hell and back.  Derrick is 17 years old going on 18, and his life has not been served on a gold platter.  Growing up in the foster care system has not been very easy,  but he is trying to make the best of his life, the life he doesn’t have.  When Derrick was little, up until the time he was 10 or so, he lived with a very vulgar and cruel Mother.  His Mother was very abusive, but his Uncle was worse.  His Uncle looked at Derrick very differently, in a way that would make anyone feel uncomfortable.  Derrick’s Mother had a hate for Derrick that no mother should have for her child.  Her hatred resulted in abusiveness.  She would often abuse Derrick just because she wanted to.  Time after time, Derrick’s Mother would send him to his Uncle’s.  Derrick’s Uncle would often touch him in a way that is not okay. His Uncle told him to keep the things they do a secret, but this caused Derrick pain.  Derrick was young; he couldn’t understand why these things were happening in his life, but he most definitely wanted it to stop.  When Derrick was little over 10, he was placed in the foster care system.  Derrick moved from home to home, with each new move there was a new school.  After so many moves, he was placed in an all boys group home.  Living in a group home with all boys, there were bullies.  People would pick on Derrick because of the things he showed an interest in.  At 15 years old, Derrick tumbles into a very deep depression.  He would steal his foster mother’s pills to help him cope, but they really didn’t help; they made the matters worse.  He started to develop a very bad drinking problem.  But, people go through things, and they need help to overcome and to be great.  Derrick got the help that he needed to be great.   Over the years, Derrick has been told information about why his Mother did what she did.  This gave Derrick the idea that “if he was only normal,”  he had this idea, so to speak, planted in his head.  He would imagine his Mother loving him to replace the pain and sorrow that he felt.  Derrick imagined if he had told someone about what his Uncle did to him he could replace the cowardly feeling he had of himself.  Derrick imagines if only he was “straight” he would never gotten bullied.  Later on, he soon realized that it is hard to visualize something that can’t be visioned.  He had come to his senses and said: “This is who I am, I can’t change the past”. I am Derrick.  I am who I am and will not change for anyone or anything.  I am tough!  Imaging and replacing the hurt only made things worse for myself.  I was only adding layers of pain to my hurt.  Things you have gone through, you can’t change, but you can be a tough person. You can make amends with yourself right now.  You can overcome the pain or denial you are in, you must believe you are tough!