The March Slice of Life Story Challenge
hosted by Two Writing Teachers
Back on the 16th, I wrote about wanting to take a look back at where I've been. I've been doing that, but I haven't been sharing much of that exploration here. I wasn't sure if I was comfortable sharing the details online. Domestic violence is part of what shaped me. It wasn't everyday, but there was a constant feeling of walking on eggshells in our home. That kept me quiet, fearful and unlikely to bring friends home.
I'm thankful for the many friends who invited me to their homes. Reading books and visiting others showed me that not all families lived like we did. Seeing other ways of living in the pages of books and in my friend's houses gave me hope for the future. During middle school, I finally started to realize that homes could be places that felt safe.
Over the years, I've tried to look for the silver lining in my childhood. Here are a few of the positives:
* In trying to get a new start and try to make a better life, we moved many times. This brought a wonderful diversity to our experience. We went from very white small-town Ohio to Dallas, Texas. What a change. Then we lived in various areas of southern California before returning to Ohio and finally moving to San Antonio, Texas. Along the way, we met some amazing friends.
* While living in Southern California, during the calm times we took long drives, explored beaches, visited mountains and had fun together. It wasn't always doom and gloom.
* We became resilient.
There are other positives, but for a long time in my life, it was hard to see past the negatives. I'm thankful that I'm able to see positives in my past while acknowledging that some of it really sucked.
This perspective gives you insight to students who may be experiencing the same type of home life. I am so sad that anyone has to live in these conditions. You have chosen to look for the positives in a negative situation and I commend you for that.
ReplyDeleteThank you for being vulnerable and sharing this with our community. I really appreciate your honesty, but also the way that you try to be positive about such negatives. You are so brave and so courageous!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite line: We became resilient. The contrast in length to the ones above it highlights its importance, its simplicity, and its power in overcoming the negative that was your childhood. And your frank and honest last sentence really hits home what a journey this revelation has been for you. Thank you for sharing.
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