I must start this letter off first by saying thank you. I want to thank you for your drug addiction, the compulsive lying, and the consistent fighting. Thank you for giving birth to me and my beautiful little sister. We're 19 and 11 now. Thankfully my sister was too young to remember all the things you put us through, but I'm not. Thank you for showing me the world a kid, or anyone never wants to see. The world of a mother and her new husband being drugged up all the time, or the late night walks to pick up your fix, the constant cleaning the needles off the floor so my sister who was starting to crawl wouldn't hurt herself with them. Or how you would choose the drugs over your own kids and family, how you would go without feeding us and I had to learn how to cook and change diapers and take care of a family at the age of 8. I really want to thank you for that, because it made me grow up at such an early age and helped me take care of myself for later years to come. Lets not forget the swinging of a knife or fist when fighting with your drug addict husband. Cleaning up the drool at 1 in the afternoon off your face so when your other daughter would walk in she wouldn't have to be scared. Thank you for constantly moving to a new town every year, this way at least you didn't go to jail right away. I want to thank you for never showing up to my concerts, or recitals, or games because it made me appreciate my dad so much more for always being there. Or when you did show up to my concert drugged up and could barely walk through the school, and meeting all my friends and boyfriend at the time to set such a great example of where I come from. Thank you for texting me a month before my actual birthday, thinking you missed it and apologizing and saying happy birthday because I learned to never get my hopes up. There was also the time you called to tell me were going away for a while, and then I found out you were being arrest for a 5th degree felony of possession. I wonder if you know about the times I was hospitalized for my suicide attempts. I wonder how you would feel knowing that.

I'm 19 now. I go to college, a private university to be exact which some people would be impressed by. I'm independent, strong willed, driven and know what I want with my life now. I learned so much from what happened to me when I was growing up, and I know I can do something with my life now. Thanks to you, if none of that happened I wouldn't be who I am today. Now I have an amazing job, and amazing friends and couldn't be happier with my life. It's been a while since we talked but I still need to say thank you, because I know the type of person I never want to be and know the type of people I never want to surround myself with. I know the type of love I want to surround myself with, and because of you I know my worth. I am worth so much and will never lower my standards for everyone because of what I've been through. Thank you Mom. Thank you for teaching me how to have self worth, independence, and teaching me who to trust. I've learned the significance of family, and loving one another, and to never take things for granted. Thank you for being the prime example of what not to be and showing me the reason for forgiveness. I wish you well.

Whoever is reading this, I wrote this article telling my story in hopes that someone with a similar situation or anyone in general realize how kids from homes such as these are more than just a statistic. No matter what happens to you, you can do whatever you want with your life. You don't have to go down a spiral towards a bad life if you don't want to. Everything happens for a reason.