A Short Story of My Life

In this essay you will learn what my life was like growing up with many different struggles that I had to overcome. There are a few sensitive topics throughout this essay, but it is important for you, the reader, to understand the obstacles I was faced with and the willpower I had to overcome them. The idea is not to make you feel sad about this obstacle course of a life, but to have you see that each person is not the same and under our masks we are real people with real problems to overcome. No one asked to be dealt the cards they were given and most of the time we try to make the best out of them, which is not fair, but this is life unfortunately. During my childhood I grew up with 2 brothers and 3 sisters, so I always had someone to play with. My siblings and I all went to elementary and middle school together but chose different high schools. School was always a bit harder for me, but I always tried my best. I was raised by both parents until my father’s passing 2 weeks before my 7th birthday. After my father’s passing, I became more reserved and had a tough time making friends for many years. I was raised to always be accepting of anyone and never to judge someone and help whenever I have the means. Thanks to being raised this way I can guide my daughter down a good path in life and to be a kind, loving, caring individual that treats all with respect just as she would want in return.

I Lived with my mother up until I was 12 years old, after that I was placed into foster care and stayed in the system until I was 18 years old and had a chance to stay in extended care until I turned 21. I had been in an abusive relationship and was only allowed to have an apartment through Independent Living Skills (ILS) if I lived there alone. I then chose homelessness to stay with my partner, which led to me getting pregnant and dropping out of my senior year in high school. We finally got into an apartment after I had the baby, I then decided I wanted to finish my senior year and get my high school diploma. I had only 2 credits that I needed to get my diploma, so it was extremely easy to attain, and I ended up graduating in June of 2018. I was a stay-at-home mom from 2017 to 2021. I finally got the courage to end the abusive relationship of 7 years, which completely turned my life upside down. I got a job and got my driver’s license so I can be a better mother, I have been working hard every day to give my daughter the best life possible and now want to continue with schooling. My life is quite different, I am in a loving relationship, I have a license, I am in college. My memories as a child in foster care were very upsetting, along with my mother choking me which led to foster care are two things that really stuck with me when thinking back. I am a white female and have Irish, German, & Norwegian roots, I do identify as Bi – Sexual and have since I was 16.

I was raised Christian, by my mother who was catholic and my father who was Jewish, by the time I was 20 years old just after giving birth I went down a spiritual path and now Identify as Wiccan. Physically I need to exercise more, and mentally I struggle with bipolar, anxiety and depression but am managing them with therapy and medication. I am American and a U.S. born citizen who speaks English. My status is low socioeconomic, I completed the 12th grade and have been renting an apartment since 2018 and have goals to eventually rent/buy a house. Currently I am unemployed due to a car accident and have decided to further my education to start a career. There are 3 people in my household, and we have 6 pets who we consider family, 2 cats, 3 frogs and a bearded dragon. I Feel that being a white woman that speaks English and has an Education gives me a step up in this world. These 3 parts of my identity have been a blessing, I have had many opportunities in this life and truly feel that it is in part due to my identity. Not everyone gets the same things in life, like education and the color of their skin. My identity places me in a dominant group in society, which has made life not too difficult.