A LITTLE BACK STORY

Please don't assume, just because I choose to live with a positive mindset, my life was/is perfect. Perfect, to me, is a word used to describe a matter of opinion, which is different for everyone. That being said, our versions of perfect could be very different, so you be the judge.

I am the youngest of four girls who was brought up in a single-parent household. (Technically youngest of eight, but that's a different story). We didn't grow up having everything we wanted. We grew up having everything we needed and being grateful for all we had. Our family, like all others, had our fair share of struggles and wins, ups and downs, laughter and tears. We all had our own strengths and weaknesses, but our mom instilled in us independence, determination, and strength beyond measure, all while doing her best to providing all she could. We learned at a very young age that life isn't always easy, but that doesn't mean it's not worth living! I have a sister who is deaf, my mom battled breast cancer while I was in high school and recently had a major stroke, I am a mom to three boys, and I was for some time a single parent. I've been married and divorced, and I am currently engaged to my guy of eight years! As a person, I am far from "perfect" but I try the best I can with all that I have.

After years of letting the "black cloud" follow me around, I promised myself to start searching for the rainbows instead of focusing on the storms. It was no easy feat, to this day it still takes work, and I have to remind myself, I may not be able to control everything that is happening, but I CAN control the way I react. So can you!