When I was eight my dad had an accident He lost everything When I was eight I lost my dad When I was eight my aunt took in a child She had to make sacrifice for this child She dedicated herself To the girls education To her future When I was eight I realized what it meant to be loved When I was nine I was sent to my mom She neglected me She abused me She failed to love me When I was nine I forgot how to love me Time goes by and I learned hate Hate for my circumstances Hate for myself If nobody else would love me Why should I As time went by I lost hope When I was thirteen my grandparents took in a child When I was thirteenth my grandfather fought for me He showed me love We stayed up late talking politics I didn’t have any political views But when I was thirteen I relearned love When I was fourteen papa died When I was fourteen my grandmother took over She was scary Violent Loud Chaotic The love I began to relearn when I was thirteen Was forgotten when I was fourteen When I was fourteen I got an email That changed my life An email from the Academy of Technology Engineering Mathematics and Science I might not have had a good home life But I had school Friends Robotics Swim And much more my teachers taught me hope When I was fourteen I found hope Things at home got worse A little more than a week before my fifteenth birthday A week before my first swim meet A day before the weekend ended Her hands were around my neck A little before my fifteenth birthday I entered foster care I wish things improved But they didn’t I did horrible things What did it matter anymore I was hurt And maybe if nobody would send help for my heart Which they couldn’t see They would send help for what they now could see; Then the world as I knew it shifted I felt things that had grown to be foreign Love Hope Safety I found a family For the first time in a long time I felt a love that could not be compromised I struggled still but now it was different My hurt was valid It was affirmed And it began to heal When I was fifteen I learned it was okay to let go of my pain My life was something I realized was worth living Healing was hard Allowing myself to be loved scared me I had to trust again I had to let people in to help me And I did Now I am 17 I have learned that the things that happened were not my fault I have learned that I am a good kid I have learned that I am worth loving And loved I am Life is different Friends who support me A boyfriend who reminds me of all the great things I am Teachers preparing me for a future I believe I will see And of course Family A family that loves me unconditionally Me and my family have been together for two years as of right now After two years of waiting the family that love had already made us Became official I was adopted October 23rd of 2025 I don’t know what the future holds But I know I can face any battle life throws at me And I will not be facing it alone