When I reflect on my journey, I find it impossible to pick a single struggle I've risen up from, as there have been so many. I have lived through the worst loss, the worst fears, that life can throw. I feel that each struggle in my life gave me the strength and determination to face the next chapter's struggles and to keep pushing to build a better life for my children. To be an example that no matter what you go through, dreams and goals can be reached. I grew up in a rural town in Colorado in the early 90s. My family was a poorer family in town, both parents worked hard to provide. Neither of my parents had more than a high school diploma. We didn't have money for sports or similar activities. In middle school, I felt so out of place, struggling with image and self-confidence issues. It was so lost, it led to a meth addiction at age 12. I spent my whole teenage years hiding it from my family, trying to act like I was okay. The addiction continued until two weeks before my 19th birthday, I was a witness to a friend's overdose. Thankfully, he survived, and I was able to get out, and stay out, of that life. The feelings and experiences that I faced in my younger years gave me the strength I needed for the next big struggle of my life; the loss of my firstborn daughter, Zoey. I was only 22 when she was born in 2006. I struggled for years after her loss, trying to accept and understand. They classified her as a SIDS death, so no one could say why. It took a lot of therapy to overcome the grief. I learned to not only live with the loss, but thrive for better because of her. To live for her and to make sure she lives on through me and her 3 younger siblings. I had been a housewife most of my life, and was ill equipped to make the transition when my ex fell into drugs and abusive behaviors. My three children and I lived at the homeless shelter for 2 years while I fought the system to find help. It was the most humbling and scary part of my journey so far, especially since all my children were under the age of 5. Not knowing if I would be able to rise up against the odds. The most humbling part about the experience was the fact that for months, it was the other homeless people that took care of us, while I tried to deal with the situation and be present for my children. I was able to save up enough money, given to us by complete strangers, to get us out of that situation in 2019. I know that if I hadn't been through the drugs and the loss of my early life, the experiences I had in Grand Junction would have been too much. Since then, I have been able to build towards a better future. I have had a steady job for 4 years and I am going back to school to complete my Bachelor's degree in Health Administration. We have a safe home, enough food and stability. I am finally at a place where I can continue to thrive and not just survive.