KAREN
Frog Pond, Boston MA
Single Mother, latina, vet tech, friend, sister, daughter, titi, survivor & decent human being. I believe in honesty, freedom and love. I'm afraid of losing myself again - whether to depression, anxiety or to an abusive relationship. I fear not being true to myself. I worry a lot about raising my son right. Will he be emotionally and mentally okay as he gets older? I worry about screwing him up somehow. I had a very rough upbringing that I'm forever scarred from - I want to be sure he has a better childhood than I had. The day my son was born was the best day of my life. I had suffered many miscarriages prior and had a tough pregnancy with preeclampsia so his healthy birth was a big deal. I struggle to balance spending time with my son and work. I don't want to miss anything but I also want to be able to provide for anything he wants to pursue. I've been on the heavier side since I was a child. It's hard for me and I can't say I've overcome it - It is a constant struggle and having PCOS contributes to it. I've been in a few abusive relationships - sometimes I catch myself holding onto those old memories, feelings and fears and bringing them into new relatioships. But the new story I'm trying to live by is that I'm the girl that overcomes. No one deserves abusive treatment in a relationship - I deserve so much more. I want my son to be proud of me. I want him to say “My Mom made it, she overcame.” I'd tell a 12 year old me to be strong, to know that everything you go through will make you wiser, stronger and more determined. I'm excited about my thirties - I'm eager to see where this decade brings me and I finally feel like I'm in a pretty stable place. In 10 years I want to be happy with my son by my side. I am Karen and my past & circumstances to not define me - they make me stronger. I am proud of the fact that I have been through so much and continue to push through. I'm proud that I have never given up.
