As I sit here in class It’s hard to focus. 2014 was the hardest year of my life. Last year had at least 5 life changing events happen. The biggest event would have to be getting custody of my little cousin. My aunty, her mother, passed away when she was 9. Now 14 her father isn’t in her life as much as he should be. so I was asked to take care of her. Unwilling to fight me in a custody battle here in Washington he attempted to fill a felony charge in Alaska that I battled for a year (case dropped completely).

Lets recap I know have 2 court cases pending over this little girl no one else wanted. she was getting straight F’s in class and already had her own “adult” problems happening. So by September I had my 1st court hearing on the criminal charge in Alaska. So my toddlers and I ventured up to Alaska on an almost 2 day ferry trip. We stayed in Alaska for 3 weeks just to have the court hearing pushed to the new year.

While I was up there I broke off my 5 year relationship due to, I guess differences. I had fallen in love with a man I’ve known my whole life and worked with for 3 years. Lets not make this into a love story.

My last week in Alaska I got a call from my sister saying my biological father is dying of cancer. I barely met my biological father and my half sister and brother 5 years before this and only seen them once. I’m not mad at him at all, however he will never be “my” dad. My dad is a man that my mother married 28 years ago. However I do still feel connected to this man that I never got to know.  So by the time I made to Washington I was off to Arizona to visit with my bio father. While there my sister asked me to file a court case with immigration so that he can become legal and get medical help. I was game, making this my 3rd court case.

I stayed in Arizona for a week. So believe me I was exhausted by the time I finally made it home. To only be crushed the next day. My toddlers father had taken them without telling me where he was taking them to. So for a whole day I thought the worse. So imagine my relief when i found out he took them to California. They didn’t crash and was in a hospital somewhere. however this started my 4th court case this year.

As I sit here and reflect on my life the last year I’m happy to see it go. I know deciding to get custody of my little cousin was a good thing. That was the only thing keeping me from me losing my mind. That poor girl needed a childhood. My life finally calmed down and I am now able to take this step in my education. I am able to move on. I am not writing this to make everyone feel sorry for me, I don’t even feel sorry for myself. We become who we are by life changing events happening. I am writing this because I can finally move on.