Before I was born, my father was a notorious gangster who later was able to leave the gangster lifestyle and clean up his life, and my birth mother was a coke addict. On March 24th 1988, I was born to my birth mother and father. Since my birth mother was always on drugs she was unable to take care of me and my brother. My father then married my step mother, who I consider my mother.
As I grew up I was full of hatred and anger. I couldn’t understand why my birth mother had given me up to my father without a fight. So I began to inflict pain on myself. Trying to find a way out of what I thought was my hell, I secluded myself all though elementary school. I was afraid that people would not like me for me.
When I entered high school, I was suddenly bombarded with guys who thought I was attractive. It wasn’t until my junior year that I realized I didn’t want to be just another Hispanic statistic. I didn’t want my kids to have to go though what I did. I wanted to give them a home, not just a house. I wanted to give them everything I didn’t have. I wanted to shield my kids from hurt and pain that they never asked for. So I made the choice to be abstinent. I know the risks I would be taking if I just had sex with whomever. I wanted to be able to let my husband know that I was women enough to wait for him. And I’d be faithful to only him. I wanted to give myself a chance to achieve all my future goals and dreams.
I am now apart of a dance and drama team called BreakDown, where teens travel the country communicating the abstinence message through dance and drama. Remember, your past does not define your future. This is my story and I hope it inspires someone else to allow the pain of their past to motivate them to make good choices for a brighter future. The first day of your future starts TODAY!