At eleven years old, no child thinks about having to be strong without someone there by their side telling them that everything will be okay. No child at eleven years old thinks about being on their own. No eleven year old thinks about the worst that could happen; they are always thinking about the best. At eleven years old, I was no different from any other child my age. Well at least that’s what people around me thought, but really no one knew the real me. I was the child who would not show what was really going on. I relied on my older brother to get me through this hard time in life, but in reality neither of us were capable of getting through this hard time on our own, let alone with each other.

When I was eleven years old, my mother went away to prison for a crime she committed because of this thing we call drugs. No eleven year old thinks about either one of their parents going to prison or even going away. But without a dad there my whole life, my mother was my best friend, my only true friend, and without her I didn’t know what I was going to do. My dad had already walked out on me and I didn’t want my mother to do the same. She was not really walking out on me, but she also was not there for me at this time. My grandmother was my hero during this hard time in life. She showed me how to be strong on my own, and she was there to make sure nothing happened to me, even though I felt like the worst had already come. At this time I didn’t want anything more than to have my mother back right by my side, holding me, telling me everything is okay and that she is not going anywhere.

I learned to have strength and not let anything tear me down. I was going to get through it no matter what, whether it was with someone by my side or without anyone. Strength keeps me alive. Without it I would not be where I am at today. Who knows where I would be at or who I would even be? Strength keeps me from being different from others; it reassures me that I am doing the right thing for myself. Strength helps me get through other hard times because I know that no matter what, I will get through these hard times and live on. Strength helped me get through life until I was reunited with my mother once again. Without strength, life would be so much harder for me. I would constantly be breaking down. But with strength, I do not break down. I live my life the way I know I should be, happy and free.