There is Always Hope

What a difference a year can make...As for so many of us the past 2 years have been very difficult to navigate to say the least. We as parents try to do our very best for our children. Along the way there are good times, bad times and memories you'll cherish forever. This past year was extremely hard for our family and I decided I needed to make some changes in my life. Not just for myself, but for my daughters....I made a promise to myself when I was younger that I would never make my children feel the way my Mother made me feel. I found myself becoming that woman during the past year and I refused to go down that road. I can't even begin to tell you how incredibly healthy, happy and grateful I am today that I made the decision to get the help I needed.

I wanted to put this out there to be Raw and let you know that you're not the only one. Everyone is struggling, it's when you do something about it that you realize there is an entirely different life for you to live in the most positive way possible. The depression, anxiety that took over will no longer be present once you make positive changes in your life. There is no reason you have to follow in the footsteps of previous generations that were so toxic to your life. I refuse to be like my Mother and her Mom. They were unhappy, miserable, selfish, people that were just plain mean. Unfortunately, it made a huge impact on my life when I was a child and continued into my adulthood. Thankfully, My Dad was always there when I was growing up and his parents were the best Grandparents you could ever ask for. I have so many terrible memories of my Mother growing up, but my Dad did the very best he could with what he was dealt. I'm extremely close with my Dad and I'm so grateful for everything he has done for me. All the sacrifices he made to make sure my brother and I were safe. He stayed with my Mom for 40 years until finally he had reached his limit. There is a reason they call him “Saint Cliff.” My parents split up right before Covid hit. My Father apologized to me for staying with her as long as he did. He said he thought she would change eventually, but she never did. I remember telling my Dad well, I am going to break the cycle Dad. I refuse to turn out like my Mother did. My entire life I always wanted to have a relationship with my Mother. I tried for so many years and last June was my final straw. As heartbreaking as it was I couldn't allow her negativity and toxic environmen