Mother ( ) Father ( ) Neither (X)

 Since I was young I lived with my mother and father for 6 out of 12 months a year because my parents would come and go from Mexico to the USA constantly. Despite my childhood memories being a bit blurry as I grew older I found out a bit more about myself.

I found out I had been adopted; this was through my biological mother who was the niece of my adoptive mother. The man I should had called father didn't have a name, and image, or anything that could hint me who it could had been.

As I grew up my adoptive mother had a son and they chose to bring me from Mexico to California so we could live as a family, I was happy for a few months, then I started to see the reality behind my him.

He was abusive, possessive, when my mother was not around. Even if I spoke up she didn't believe me or thought I was making it up, I felt like now that they had a child of their own I was getting set aside and bottom line to this is I ended in foster care. This is when I grew a larger hate to my biological father because I thought that if he had stayed my biological mother would have kept me.

As time passed a bit more I was once again heartbroken because I found out that all my life was a lie. Everything I knew and everyone I trusted was a complete lie. I couldn't count on neither my adoptive nor biological parents. I couldn't blame an image-less father anymore because the woman that had given birth to me had a fault of her own.

She hid me from my father, he didn't hesitate to quit trying to find me, and after she gave me up for adoption she had more children; children that to this day she has cared for none of them and I might never meet.

In my opinion I am now 23 years old, I've found ways to put me in school and at least have my essentials paid for. I am studying for a career and I see myself as an owner of a multi-million dollar business and helping mentor other foster youths and children whom have no parents as well as creating scholarships to get them through school. I see myself as such because in my opinion you have to see what you want in your future to reach it.

 I thank not having a trusted person because I cannot get fooled since I can recognize lies, I thank my situation because I found strength I never knew I had, and I thank that higher Force that allows your heart to believe.

I believe that the lack of a father can hurt, but fathers aren't the only ones to walk out of a child's life. I believe in those children that have grown up with one or both parents out of their lives. I believe that those children have the power to use this as strength or a weakness. I believe, that adults are needed, but not required to be the parent of a child to make a difference on helping a child to move forward.

Although it is hard each difficult situation is strength we find deep in our heart. I for one don’t feel sorry for myself and always ask people the to save those feelings for other occasions. I can also understand those who have a little more difficulty finding their inner strength because it isn't always easy to do.

Having both parents’ is a blessing, having one is an ever bigger one. No parents means a tough lesson to learn as a child but at the end I believe that each individual has the power to see if for better or worst.

The Struggles of A Police Officer.

I believe in those who care for the protection of others rather than to care of their own selfish needs. It is difficult to find people that will put your safety before their own without doubting it for a minute. This people hold three elements that allow us to walk outside everyday, enjoy a morning cup of coffee, and know that when we call them they can get the aid we need. Power, justice, and righteousness are three those powerful elements; although this three are very important they wouldn't be possible without our many officers protecting citizens everyday. 

Being young my mother owned a daycare, I remember there was a huge window on the front of the house and behind that glass was the room where I would do my homework. I would always our front neighbor running out of his house in a hurry at different times of the day and not return till many hours later. 

One day as I was walking to school our neighbor was returning home. He seemed exhausted with tired eyes and said to him "good morning". He simply smiled without saying a word and I asked "are you ok?" He looked at me and said "it was a rough day at work, but I'm glad every time I see kids like you heading to school and thinking it is all worth it." He apologized for being too brief and walked into his home. 

Events in life turned faster than I could ever want to happen again, and although it is difficult to say I ended in foster care with a guardian that lived in Tracy, California. At the time I was a Senior in High School we had an event called Senior Beach Day where all Seniors got to eat food and spend all day by the pool for the day, this was a month before my graduation.  

On that day I would had never expected what would happen next. 

As my guardian picked me up from school that day I asked if my friend could spend the day at the house with me and my guardian agreed. On our way to the house my friend, who was sitting behind me on the back seat had just finished making a call to her mom with my cell phone and as I finished turning back around from receiving my phone... 

my guardian slams the breaks, I suddenly see a car heading towards us and then nothing but white. 

The smell of burn rubber and gas woke me back up, we had just been hit head-on in a collusion. Thankfully my window was fully down because I couldn't open the door so I had to jump out the window because we where all scared that the car would catch on fire. My friend was able to open her door and only received some seatbelt burns but my guardian was pinned into the car. 

The car that hit us made the engine of the car end up on our lap, we called for help and police arrived right away. I was in shock and crying so the officer sat me down, hugged me and said "it will all be ok."  

Somehow I knew to believe him. 

The officer called the fire department to get my guardian out of the car and an ambulance to get us the help we needed.  

Needless to say those gurneys in the ambulance weren't the most comfortable but after arriving to the hospital and getting the help I needed the officer that had been there to comfort me called in to check that I was ok.  

I then understood that despite being a simple stranger an officer can feel an attachment to the people they help and protect every day, and I realize the pain it must be when life doesn't give the people they protect a happy ending. To this day thinking of that pain makes me hurt too, for the officers that have shed tears for the people, that have gotten injured protecting others, that receive anger of the people that a few corrupt officers have harmed. 

Before this accident I had a teacher in school whose husband worked in the police force, and she told me, "never think that standing for your rights is doing something foolish, never think that it means acting like a fool to an officer. Me being the wife of one must tell you that it's hard not knowing if your husband will come home, it is hard that seeing the dedication they can give to helping others, but most of all it's hard seeing those days where work was full of misfortune, when a fellow officer has been hurt or even killed." I hugged her and then she replied, " never lose respect to them, because remember that if you are ever hurt they will be the first to bring you your care." 

She was completely correct!