Untitled--Angel

 

As a little girl sits here looking around at her family, she can see the pain and the happiness they've gone through together. They have many good-humored and overjoyed memories. She tries her very best never to forget these memories, but the ones she seems to never forget are the tender ones—some of her family struggles with alcohol problems and depression disorders. As her mother and her do not struggle with these issues, she suffers by seeing and knowing her loved ones go through these difficult situations.

During her childhood, she struggled with mental abuse caused by her father. When she would visit him, his then-girlfriend Martha and their child (her younger half-sister) Alyssa. She spent many nights seeing her father and Martha argue and have physical fights; he would punch holes through the walls. One night, Martha chased her father with a knife; they both ran out the front door, passing the little girl’s sister and her playing outside while Martha continued chasing her father down the street. Martha would become upset at her father and would take it out on the little girl. Although her parents had joint custody, her father and Martha would not allow the little girl to talk to her mother on the phone because they wanted her mother out of the picture. Her father would mentally abuse her and gaslight her into believing that what she would witness was not real. He caused her so much pain as a young kid, and he still does. She will never forget the awful and scary situations Martha, and her father put her through.

Her father tried to take her away from her mother when she was younger, and being she was so young, her mother kept the court proceeding away from her, not wanting the little girl to stress out. He accused her mother of putting her life in danger and was no longer fit to take care of her in front of a court judge. He made up terrible and unforgiving stories about her mother that were untrue. Her father failed in taking her away from her mother. Her father never did what was best for her, he only did what was best for himself, and she will never fail to remember this. Her father doing what he did put a financial strain on her mother and her. They had to move from place to place because of this. Even though the difficulties the mother and she went through, they were always happy together.

When the girl got older and felt empowered enough by her mother to voice her own opinion, she decided to end the relationship she had with her father. It has been nearly five years since she last saw or spoke to him. Since then, her life has been much happier, less stressful, and anxiety-ridden, making it easier to focus on her schoolwork and education. The difficulties she endured with her father have taught her to see her strengths and weaknesses. And with that realization, she learned to overcome her weaknesses by applying her strengths. This little girl was me.

My past experiences have given me wisdom and strength, which have made me who I am today. Throughout the years, my mom taught me, “Great leaders don’t tell you what to do. They show you how it’s done.” Since I was younger, my mom has guided me to believe in God, to put my faith in him. Whatever the circumstances, God has been there for me. She's always told me to be positive no matter the obstacles that may come my way. My mom raised me, knowing I will succeed in all I do. She instilled in me the hunger I need for an education, gave me the courage to attend college after I graduate from High School. She told me to always follow my dreams and passions. Witnessing my mom’s conflicts with my father helped me understand what being a strong woman means. It made me realize all the sacrifices she's made for my older brother and I to build a happy home to come back to every day. I am confident enough to know I will make her proud by achieving my goal of attending college to obtain the future she was never able to get. I want to become an independent, strong, successful woman to help my mother in the future as much as she's helped me my whole life. It’s important to me to be a positive role model my little sister can look up to as she grows with her education. As I succeed with my career, like my mom before me, I want to give back to all the young girls who will one day follow my steps for a better future.