The Story of My Life

Some 21 years ago on a wintery Tuesday, I was born. Until I was 3, my parents and I lived with my grandparents. During that time, while my parents worked, my Nonna took care of me. Then, we moved with my other set of grandparents for a few years, and finally into our own house (after staying at a townhouse between moves). I remember being a shy kid. My mom called me an "observer," just gazing at people with my big eyes. Though with my cousins and my baby brother, I was super silly. The seven of us cousins grew up like siblings – always close and playing together – and those are some of my greatest memories.

The not so nice part of my childhood was that my parents fought a lot. If not crying alone in my room, I'd be the one running between them yelling, "STOP!" That fighting, screaming, and threatening completely shaped me. I always felt trapped, like I had no choice but to endure the sadness. It became even harder to deal with as I got older. I pushed myself into school and music as an escape. Taking part in voice lessons, musicals, and competitions were really happy moments during times I wasn't so fully content.

At the age of 18, I had my son, Carter, and that was really a turning point. Many people would expect that having a kid at such a young age would be the lowest point in your life, but it was the exact opposite. I was in a place I loved with my newborn son and Kyle. I graduated high school, had a year off with Carter, and began university. It's always a hard job and I can guarantee I'm exhausted 99% of the time, but Carter and Kyle have been the absolute best things to happen to me. They are part of the life that I am creating for myself. I finally was able to say no to a destructive environment and say yes to a lifestyle that is loving and positive and growing.

No one's life can be fully described in 250 words (mine came out to 377), but my story just says that things get better. I can’t wait to write the rest of it.


*This post was the first of the "Blog Every Day in May" challenge: to write the story of your life in 250 words or less.