I have a 28 year old brother and an 8 year old sister. I would be lost without the two of them each for two very different reasons. My dad and I are the exact same person and there are times when that is an amazing thing to have and there are times when that is the worse thing.

I am 36 years old and I guess I consider myself a social worker. For six years I have been a caseworker for teenage children who have been abused and neglected. I try to assist them with developing the skills to possibly remain in foster casre until they are 18 and be able to leave care and find success. I also try to work with those family members in which a child may be returned home and that the situation would be better than when they were removed from the home. The successes in my job are measured by quality not quantity.

About five years ago I had back surgery. Although it was necessary and has provided me some relief. I still struggle everyday with tremendous pain in my feet and back. I have difficulties because of it but there are no surgery options for me. I do attend pain management for it.

When I was 8 years old, my brother was born and soon after my parents divorced. My mohter did her best to raise us on her own and with the help of my grandparents.

When I was 11, we moved from Houston to New Braunfels, TX. After moving to New Braunfels, I met those who would become the few people who are closest to me to theis day and would become an extension of my family. We have been there when our loved ones passed away, we continued to be there as we went on to college, begin careers and we continue to be there as most are married with kids. We have all battled varying degrees of drug and alcohol use.

I had the needed moment of clarity and was able to put myself through colllege. I achieved a degree in history and psychology and began working is the social work field.

There were moments along the way that have left me changed. Those moments include my parents divorce and the reasons why, being the only one with my grandmother as she began to pass away, being able to be with my grandfather on the farm he lived on as a kid before he passed away, and having my sister be born.