A Brief Introduction To 13 Reasons Why

If you’ve never seen 13 Reasons Why, it’s about a girl named Hannah Baker who leaves behind tapes after her death, explaining how certain people and events led her to end her life. The show is intense, emotional, and sometimes hard to watch, but it’s a raw look at how deeply our actions can impact others.

I think everyone should watch it at least once—not because it’s perfect, but because it makes you think about your own life, your relationships, and the moments that shape you. It stuck with me in ways I didn’t expect, and honestly, it got me wondering: if I had my own tapes, what would they say?

My Personal Tapes

When I think about the concept of Hannah’s tapes, it hits close to home. I’ve had my share of pain and trauma—moments and people that left scars, both visible and invisible.

For a long time, I’ve carried my own version of tapes—memories that replay over and over, convincing me I’m not enough. The words people said, the ways I was ignored or left behind, the times I felt worthless. Those moments hurt. They shaped me.

But if I’m being honest, my tapes wouldn’t just be about what others have done to me. They’d include the ways I’ve hurt myself—giving up on things too soon, ghosting people who cared about me, being too afraid to try because I didn’t think I’d succeed, and even being too scared to succeed because it would overwhelm me and I’d shut down again.

And here’s the truth: those tapes hurt the most. Because they’re the ones I made for myself.

Reasons Why Not

Unlike Hannah, my story isn’t about giving up; it’s about finding reasons to keep going. Some people in my life may have hurt me, but others have shown me kindness, patience, and love. For every bad memory, there are moments of good that remind me I’m not alone.

There’s also the uncomfortable truth: no one has hurt me more than I’ve hurt myself. Through self-sabotage, self-doubt, and pushing people away, I’ve added to my own pain. If I were to truly own my tapes, they wouldn’t be about what others have done to me—they’d be about the ways I’ve stood in my own way.

How I’m Rewriting My Tapes

If I want things to be different, I have to start with me. I can’t keep playing the same old tapes and expecting a new story. So here’s what I’m working on:

Taking Care of Me: It’s not about being perfect; it’s about showing up for myself in small ways every day.
Keeping Promises: Especially to myself. Because if I can’t trust me, who else will?
Letting People In: Even when it’s scary. Even when I want to push them away.
Learning Grace, Patience and Compassion: Not just for others, but for myself too.

The Redemption Tape

If I were to leave behind one final tape, it wouldn’t be about the pain. It would be about the hope—the reasons why not. It would remind me and anyone who listens that healing is possible, that every day is a chance to start over, and that redemption isn’t about erasing the past but learning how to rise from it.

Who are my tapes for? They’re for me. For the version of myself that’s still hurting, still healing, still learning. And maybe, they’re for you too.