My mom had to fight for every visit with us. The court system had us going to therapists and hearings to determine custody. My heart was being ripped apart. I loved my mom and dad but loathed the woman my dad was with. In his presence she treated us well but when he was at work she said horrible things. “Your father took you so he would not have to pay child support!”  ” Your mother does not want you either just the child support!”  After visiting with my mother at the beach one day, I ran away to get back to her, I thought if I could get back to that beach she would still be there. I walked for hours starting at the beach near our house. I figured all the beaches had to be connected and if I followed the beach for long enough it would lead to that beach. It was a child’s logic, and I ended up near town eventually and a shopping center. I had not taken money or food. A nice lady noticed me and called the police. The policeman took me to the station and called my mom and dad. My mom tried to come get me but only my dad could because he had temporary custody. Later my dad’s girlfriend told me that a man could have found me and in graphic detail what he could have done to me. Terrifying me of running away again and of course not in front of my dad.

When I was 8 we moved to Harrisburg PA. The happy memories were now mixed with moments my mom was sad or arguing with my dad. My mom still baked cookies and we had many friends but my dad was also gone a lot. I did not know that he was seeing someone else at first until he started taking us to visit her. I did not like her. Me and my siblings did everything we could to drive her crazy. Roller skating in the house, swinging from the ceiling fan, and being as loud as we could. Unfortunately it did not stop her from working with my dad to take us from my mom. Which he did by bringing us to another state and while we were staying in a hotel he told my mom he was taking all of us kids to breakfeast at Mc Donald’s which he did but he never took us back. He took us to a house he set up with his girlfriend and filed for divorce.

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton

I have amazing memories of my early days as the 2nd to the youngest child of seven children. One of my older sisters would let us play in her room and I remember my oldest sister teaching us that the skin was the best part of the potato. My oldest brother would occasionally give us rides on his motorcycle. The thing that stands out the most though was how happy my parents seemed. My dad taking pictures of scenery, my mom cooking in the kitchen, and though there was occasional tension in the house I dont remember any screaming or yelling going on except from us kids being kids. We had pizza night once a week, went on outings, and even had a dog named snoopy. Little did I know that things were going to change in a very drastic, and terrible way that would leave me a totally different child.

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