Read by Anne Peshka

From the outside, my life looks like the American dream-successful real estate business, six-figure income, beachside afternoons with my dog. But the truth? My journey began in a crib, nameless, waiting to be chosen. I was adopted into a family that would grow to eight children, where dysfunction ruled and abuse became a nightly terror. Survival meant enduring, but when given a choice between chaos and the unknown, I ran-straight into addiction, young motherhood, and rock bottom. Through heartbreak, loss, and the relentless grip of self-destruction, I clawed my way toward something more. Sobriety became my rope, but fear of motherhood drove me to keep climbing. I wasn't the perfect mother, but I was determined to rise. I've taken a life filled with pain and trauma and recycled it into the very best parts of me. That is my power. The ability to transform my past, to turn suffering into strength, is what has allowed me to create the life I have today. This is not a rags-to-riches story-it's a story of choice, resilience, and the power of rewriting our own narrative. Trauma may shape us, but it does not have to define us. We all have the power to rise, to heal, and to create the future we deserve. My story is proof that you can, too

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