Do you ever wonder how different your life could have been if not for one instance? I do this every day. Growing up in a family that was consumed with drugs gave me a different outlook on life. I had to raise myself and many times serve as a parent to my younger brother. At the age of 9, I did not think I would have to grow up so fast or ever be exposed to the things I was. Life itself was a struggle for me from a very young age, and it shouldn't have been that way. As I got older, these things made me question God. I remember sitting and asking Him, "Why me? Why do I deserve this?" It just wasn't fair.
I was truly blessed with an amazing family in the fifth grade. God had finally answered my cries out to Him. My best friend was their daughter, and we were completely inseparable. It all started with me staying with them on weekends and going on their family vacations with them. It took no time at all until they officially had considered me a member of their family. They bought my school clothes and basic necessities, and they even paid for me to get braces. Some people would consider me their charity case, but I knew I was a part of their family. They made me feel so overwhelmingly loved, which was one of the most amazing things to me. To me, it was amazing to be a part of a family that actually loved each other and acted like a family. I never had that growing up, so I didn't know what to do or how to love. However, their years of love and support really shaped me into the person I am today.
They have fully taken me in and even call me their daughter. We didn't take the necessary actions to get me legally adopted because we don't need a paper to prove that they are my family. They are my parents; they are the people I look up to. I no longer have to question God's plan for me. Now that I am better off, I see that I had to go through those hard times to experience better ones.
I actually do want to thank my real parents for everything they have done for me. I pray that one day God can touch them and heal them into the people I know they have the potential of being. Without their addictions, I wouldn't be where I am today. I wouldn't be living with an amazing family or going to college and getting the education I am now. I also wouldn't have gotten the chance to join Phi Mu and gain some amazing sisters. I thank them for that every single day.
Everyone chooses their lifestyle, and my parents chose theirs. I want to thank them for that, and thank my guardian angels for everything they have done for me and continue to do for me.
I'm going to leave you with this quote that I live by:
"You were given this life because you are strong enough to live it."
