I was born into an abusive home, but my mom did everything she could to protect me from fully understanding that. I knew some things … but it wasn’t until she passed that I found a diary documenting everything she shielded me from. She sacrificed so much, even while battling ongoing health issues.

When I was in Grade 6, she was hospitalized for years due to complicated health issues. I lost my childhood home, my cat, and had to live with a controlling guardian. I learned to put on a smile and keep going, even when I felt completely alone. When my mom finally got out, we built our life back together. I barely went to high school, got caught up in partying, but I still made it to college, started a business, and figured things out.

In 2021, I moved back in with my mom, a decision I’ll never regret. We survived a bad car accident in 2022, but in July 2023, she passed suddenly. Less than a year later, my grandma died too. Now, I have no immediate family left, just my aunt and cousins. And now, I’m pregnant.

Despite everything, I keep moving forward. I laugh, I find joy in small things, I love deeply and spread that my friends and community, I have big dreams, even if I don’t fully know what they are yet. Life has thrown so much at me, but I’m still here, still standing, still writing my story!