Tuesday Tribute

After reading Jay's Halftime Lessons; I really wanted to participate in Tuesday's Tribute. Mine is honoring the woman in my life who has seen me through everything. She has cheered me on when medical and law enforcement professionals; who had decided at my age of 12, I was going to end up a criminal if I didn't change, she was the champion who realized my potential when even I didn't see it myself, she has lifted me up in some very dark times when I was certain there was no light in the future. I can only hope I have a fraction of the character this woman possesses.

When I was twelve my parents welcomed me in to their home as their daughter. I lived all my young years in foster care, shifting from one "family" to the next; never experiencing the feeling of belonging. Today I am 35 and I still have never forgotten the words my mother said to me the first night I was home. I was awakened in the middle of the night from a nightmare and I remember being terrified; she held me and whispered; "you are home and no matter what happens we are never going to let you go. This is where you belong."

Believe me, I spent the next 5-6 years testing her patience and pushing her to limits I'm sure she never knew existed until she met me. I was a strong child, she was a stronger woman. She took me to counseling and heard all the words from professionals when they said; "she's highly intelligent but statistics say that she'll end up preganant and on welfare." She picked me up from the police department when I ran away from home, just so I could show her how independent I was! She wiped my tears when I felt the world closing in around me; she also told me to suck it up when I was trying out for the Teenage Drama Queen.

Everything I am today, a successful woman personally and professionally, all my achievements are a tribute to her. When society was ready to give up on me as a lost cause, she championed me to be better and do better!

I hope when I grow up I'm just like her.