[Gina1201]

This all brings back memories. Too often I remember the phone being off, the cable being out, having to call my grandparents to see if they could feed us for the night. This all began after my mother was hit by a drunk driver when I was 4. The effects of that day still linger for my family. Because of the accident, my mother could no longer work. She had to have two surgeries due to the ruptured disks in her back. Due to that my mother only recieved money at the beginning of the month (SSI) and the end (disability). Times were always good for about a week. But after the bills get paid times would be hard for the remaining three weeks. Especially since my mother had her own demons to deal with.

The only thing that held me through this rough period, which lasted from the age of 4 to 16 were my grandparents and my uncle. They were always their for me. In fact, my grandmother placed me in catholic school from kindergarten to sixth grade and then I received a scholarship to go to private school from seventh to twelth. Imagine what it's like to attend school with tons of rich kids who never know what it's like to be without while you go home and eat 5 wings for $1 from the corner store.

I pray and hope that if and when I do have children they will never have to go through what I went through.