The Pain in My Smile

I’m chronicling these events to let whoever is struggling with some of the issues that I have struggled with know that there is hope and that the sun will shine again. I have traveled a long, hard road fraught with rejections, disappointments, heartaches, abuse and untold challenges. I stand today as a testimony to what faith, perseverance and determination can achieve. This journey hasn’t been easy. I’ve been abused, raped, hungry and homeless and there have been times when I felt like giving up but, somehow, I always managed to bounce back, with the help of God. I even tried to take my life but God said, not yet, I have a purpose for you. I have to tell this story to save someone else. My motto is if I can help somebody as I pass along then my living shall not be in vain. I am leaving a legacy for my grandchildren. They should know a part of their history. I owe a debt of gratitude to my two best friends who have supported me in this undertaking--indeed; they have encouraged me to tell the story.