Where to begin...
My word is FEARLESS, and it was given to me by my Aunt for my 40th birthday. To say that I thought this was a unique, yet thoughtful gift, wouldn't be explaining it to the magnitude of preciousness I felt when she gave it to me. She said she wanted to get me something special and she choose this word for me because I have been through so much in my life, yet continue to push forward.
Well I hadn't really thought about it in a while, but she is right...I really have... but so have many others. The person I have chosen to pay it forward to is my cousin/sister Paula. We both had similar up-bringings; raised by a single mother, latch key kids at a very young age, fathers that choose to be absent, and just all around got dealt a sh*tty deck at every other turn, but through it all we managed to persevere and make a good life for ourselves. I love her more than words could ever describe, and she is my sister... not my cousin.
In the last 10 years, she has gone through some of the toughest times in her life, but every day she puts one foot in front of the other and makes it all work for herself and for her kids. She is one of the best mothers I have ever seen and she lives for her children. They always come first, no matter what. To describe her in one word would be hard, but FEARLESS is a really good start.
To my FEARLESS sister in arms... I love you and cherish every minute that you have been in my life. Through it all she can always have fun and laugh!
-Ashley
