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Birth of Brandy
I was born to parents who were not married at the time. They did get married soon after I was born, but was divorced a short year later. (Picture is of my daughter since i have none of me) -
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Growing up in the South
I grew up in Mississippi. Our town was predominantly men and women of color, which made me being white the minority. Even though whites were the minority in my town, my fathers dad was very much against interracial relationships. My sisters both have children that are of mixed race and when my nieces and nephews were born, my grandfather disowned my dad because he wouldn't disown my sisters. To see that kind of hate towards others really bothered me. -
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Toddler years
With my biological parents being divorced, my mom soon remarried to my step-dad when I was 2 years old. My step-dad was never called anything but dad. I learned a different type of respect. -
Sister was born
One of my sisters was born May 24, 1988 and that is where I learned I was not the center of everyone's universe anymore. I had to share my room, my toys, and my time with my parents. -
Christmas Holidays
Holidays at our house were always the same. My mom's father made everyone in our family matching decorations for the yard. They were made of wood and we all had what we called a candy cane lane. I remember helping make the decorations each year and helping each of the family members decorate their yards. -
Parent with a disability
My dad was born with cerebral palsy. I grew up with him being this way so I did not notice a difference, it wasn't until I was older that I saw bullying first hand. I would always go places with my dad and I always saw people being mean to my dad because he couldn't walk like a normal person could. I believe this is where I get my compassionate side from. I know in the world now it is probably even worse, but I try to make a difference. Picture is of my dad and my niece. -
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Teenage years
My teenage years were a lot of rebelling. I found out that my mom was having an affair when I was 15. I lashed out at her by dating someone a lot older than me. He was not good for me and was also into drugs. I was in a VERY abusive relationship and I blame my mom. I ended up pregnant at 16 but was forced to have an abortion. To this day I regret having to do that and it has shaped who I am as a mother. January 21 use to be a day I hated, but it is now my son's birthday. -
Life in Italy
I had a culture shock going into the military. I was not use to the lifestyle as I was just barely 18. After tech school, I got stationed in Italy. I had to learn the ways of the Italians. They are very laid back individuals that are hardworking. They had a cesta every day for 3 hours, where everything shut down. I also had to learn some Italian to be able to get around. Living close to Venice was amazing as I got to travel throughout Europe. -
TEXAS
Texas is a very different culture. After living in Dallas by myself for 5 years before coming to San Angelo, I have noticed that the people in the metroplex are different than those in the smaller cities. Big cities are always in a hurry, rarely look up from their phones and are not very friendly. In the small towns, its just the opposite. -
Life as a Mother
Being a mother has changed my life completely. I went back to school and got my bachelors to make sure my son had a better life. I am going back to school for my Masters. Before I would judge mothers out with their kids if their kids were misbehaving. I now know you cant control your kids. They are going to embarrass you in public and you are going to feel terrible and want to become invisible. I apologize for thinking otherwise.
