Everything all began when I was only a little girl in the third grade. I watched my mom and dad’s relationship slowly go downhill, had to live in my grandma’s two bedroom house with seven people, and then had to deal with a stressed out mom all the time.

As time went by, my two older brothers, mom, and I finally got a house of our own. Just when I thought things would get better, they never did. My brothers slowly changed into two different people. They began to stay out late at night, not come home at all, and were angry all the time. I could see the disappointment and hurt in my mom’s eyes from everything happening around her.

Having an alcoholic dad coming in and out of our lives brought more stress to my mom. And there I was. Stuck in the middle. Confused. Not knowing what to do, except to make my mom happy. I went to school every day in hopes of earning the best grades and tried to be more help around the house, but it seemed like everything that I did was never good enough for my mom. I began to hate myself. I felt that every time my mom looked at me, she couldn’t stand who I was.

I no longer felt close to anyone in my family because everyone looked down on me and didn’t believe I would make it anywhere. I was teased at school for who I was by my so called “friends.” My hair was different. I dressed unlike most people at school, and I was interested in different genres of music. I was alone. And when high school came I was not ready at all. I knew going to a new school, knowing only one person at the time, was going to be horrible. The first few months I was judged; I had no friends, and all I ever wanted to do was cry. But I still went to school every day, trying to make something of myself.

Eventually school was easier, but coming home to a place where I didn’t feel comfortable anymore began to get me involved with the wrong people. I disobeyed my mom more, came home late, lied to her, and just walked all over her. Our mother-daughter relationship became horrible. It was at the point where she would tell me hurtful things I would never have imagined her telling me and I would leave the house. What was the point of trying to succeed if I was never good enough for my mom?

I began to lose interest in school, so whenever I had the chance, I made up excuses of “being sick” to stay home. The week I was home was one of my most craziest experiences. My mom and I had gotten into a argument over my losing the house keys, and it led into one of our biggest fights.

She began to call me hurtful names and made me feel like less of a person, so I just got up and left the house. I walked all the way to one my oldest friend’s house. We were both out until about 9:00 p.m. finding a place for me to stay the night. And apparently the police were out looking for me. The next day, I began roaming around the east side, thinking, and finally decided I would be better off at home, so I went back.

After missing about two weeks of school, I suddenly decided it wasn’t an option anymore . I had to go to school. Doing nothing was never going to get me anywhere in life, I wanted to prove to everyone and my mom I would make something of myself. So I now get up every morning, even if I don’t want to, and I go to school to better myself because I learned it will get me somewhere in the long run. And when I get there, I will be successful, proving everyone who ever doubted me wrong. Life can be difficult, but you have to look on the bright side and actually make something of yourself. Everyone has obstacles, but no matter what, you can and will overcome them.