“We are made to persist.
that's how we find out who we are.” 
― TOBIAS WOLFF, In Pharaoh's Army

INNER CITY STORIES

I think a hero is someone you look up to, someone you’d want to be like one day. Well, some children when asked say that their hero is their mother or their father, or maybe even a police officer or firefighter, and of course as a child I was one of those children. But as I grew older I realized that there was someone else, someone I looked up to a bit more than anyone else. Now don't get me wrong, of course I look up to my mom, just maybe not as much as . . . Her name is Nadine, and she my favorite aunt. She hasn't had the best life; she's had it rough, especially growing up. She wasn't popular in school and she wasn't all that happy at home either. She was considered the fat ugly girl. No one really saw the potential in her, not even her parents, so she turned to the streets, drinking and doing drugs, and other dangerous things. Many unspeakable things have happened to her, things you couldn't even imagine, especially at such a young age. She started skipping school to be on the streets and getting into all kinds of trouble. It seemed like she was turning bad, but in reality, she was just hurt. Hurt because she wasn't being loved and treated the way she should have been at home. The alcohol and the drugs took all the pain away. Until she found out she was pregnant, that is. After she found out she was with child she straightened herself up, made sure she had a job, got an apartment, and got off the streets.

To be quite honest, I didn't really think I would have an aunt still here with me before my little cousin came along. He's her little miracle baby! He inspired her to get her life together; she found God. She gave her life to God, and then a couple of very hard years later she found a man. A man who treats her well, a man who loves God just like she does. Man oh man do I thank him! I've seen my aunt get treated like something scraped off someone's shoe. Now I look into her eyes while she talks to me about him and all I see is this beautiful twinkle in her gorgeous brown eyes, and I know that this man makes her happy. He pushes her to be the best woman she can be, and I'm glad that she has found him. Years later my aunt now has a second beautiful baby boy, she has graduated from school, and most importantly she is happy, she's happy with the way she's living. She has her baby boy’s love and the love of her life. I am so proud of her; words can’t even begin to explain how proud I am of her. She is this new and improved woman, and a spectacular mother. This goes to show that even if you come or started out from the gutter, you can always pick yourself up and make something of yourself. It is never too late.