Day 1, Wednesday: "The Story of Your Life in 250 Words or Less" 

Me at four

     
  Being born a bastard isn't as bad as it may seem. In fact, regardless of John Snow’s situation (Yes. This is a Game of Thrones reference), having at least one parent around who gives half a rat’s ass about you can’t be all that bad. Of course I say that because I didn't have the affection of either—you know – “He who should not be named” or “She who donated her egg.”  I was only three – almost four—when my biological mom handed all of her kids over to the state. Over the next five years, I lived in foster care until I was adopted in 1984; I was eight.

Last picture with siblings the
 day before my adoption.

        I grew up on a farm; there were pigs and sheep and cows—all of it.  Life was good-even though the environment was overprotective and strongly regulated by religion. Eleven miles from any of the nearest towns, there wasn't much to do but chores. So, I started writing.

My best friend Angela at
 our Junior Prom

      The most exciting time offered in small town U.S.A was watching the high school football team play, getting boozed up and having sex—the latter, of course, completely violated my Southern Baptist upbringing. Always aiming to prove that my adoptive parents made the right decision in taking me in, I didn't partake of either; therefore, I was definitely never part of any "in crowd." But that was okay-- I had a couple of really awesome (yes, I said awesome) friends. 

 

The hot bartender who married me.

       It wasn't until I went to  Oklahoma Baptist University that my eyes were opened to the world. It was time to prove to my Senior classmates that their prophetic view of me becoming a nun was just not going to happen. I learned from my upperclassmen friends to smoke, and curse and drink.   I traveled, worked in two national parks, was engaged twice, and had my heart broken A LOT.  That was until I met a hot bartender who lavished praise on my eyes. 


       I was headed to the hospital in 1999 because I had a sickness I couldn't overcome—I wouldn't either – until many months later when bartender man and I welcomed our daughter into the world. (No worries.  I was properly married before giving birth. Yay!)  

 My daughter, Hope
 One of the loves of my life 

The other love of my life, Julian
 (AKA "Bug" or "Mr. Bug)"

After six years of trying to have another child, we gave up. Then Bang!   Thirty-eight weeks later my son was born.Four months later, I began working at Oklahoma City Community College in a job that I love, especially because of the people I work with. I finished my Bachelor’s degree and am now almost halfway through my Master’s in English and Creative Writing. Life is hard, right? But as Confucious said "All good things are difficult to achieve; and bad things are very easy to get. " So, here's to  the difficult!