Theme Week Two

It is August 28, 1994 and my parents just bought a house an hour away from my current home. I don't want to leave, I don't want to lose my friends, and I don't want to start a new life. I have been in the Bucksport area all my life. I am fifteen years old and I have so many friends here. I just don't want to leave! I am crying the whole way to our new house. We get there and immediately start unpacking the uhaul. I like the new house and all but my new school is at least a half hour drive from the new house. The new house is great and has a lot more room than our old house. There is four bedrooms and two bathrooms, an attached garage, and a huge yard to play with my dog.

I only have three days until my freshman year of high school starts, so my mom takes me shopping. I figure if I have to make such a dramatic change for my parents, then my mom is going to have to make some dramatic changed too. I have her take me to get my hair cut, and I decide to cut it short. My hair is down to my lower back and my mom has never let me cut it any shorter than my middle back. She would braid my hair every day before school and make me look pretty. She crys when she sees my hair cut all the way up to my shoulders. But she told me that it was my choice and that as long as I didn't make myself look like a boy then she would be alright with it. The beautician puts the sixteen inches of hair in a braid and gives it to my mom.

My first day of high school and I don't know anyone. On the bus ride a girl named Rose sits with me. She invites me to join her church youth group and go on a hike of Gulf Hagus with them. I kindly accept and asked my parents if I could go. My parents meet The youth group leader and help me pack for my trip. They are ecstatic that I made a friend so quickly. My father use to hike Gulf Hagus when he was younger and gives em some pointers on how to stay safe on the hike. It was a long day of hiking and then we went to a Steve Green concert at the Bangor Auditorium. I was amazed at the feeling I got from his music. I was saved that night at the concert and church became a huge part of my life.

After my freshman year I went through a relationship that broke my heart half way into my junior year. I met him at church and thought that his faith in God was as strong as mine had become. He wanted so much that was not in God's plan for me. So after about a year and half with him I caught him cheating on me. I guess waiting wasn't something he could do. So after a broken heart I changed my plan for my life. I signed up to Join the Maine Army National Guard. I joined in April of 1997 and had my very first drill weekend that month. I met the most wonderful man that weekend. I left for Basic training on June 19, 1997. I returned home on September 7, 1997. I finally let down my guard and knew that the "army guy" was the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. Our first time together physically I go pregnant.

I was confused and didn't know what to do. He was almost ten years older than me and I was scared that he would leave. He didn't leave though. He stayed by my side through every appointment, class, and pain. He was a wonderful man! We had our son on May 5, 1998. I graduated from high school on June 7, 1998. Brian (Army guy) had gotten an active duty position in Old Orchard Beach. So the day after I graduated, I moved my son and I down to live with him. Throughout the next few years we moved around the state of Maine for Brian's job. I stayed true to my beliefs in God but I did not find a church that I felt welcomed in. So I would attend my home church in Corinth when I could. And since Brian was Catholic, I attended his church in Hampden as often as possible.

Our son grew right before our eyes. He was so smart and full of energy. When he was five his father and I parted ways. We did not live together but still kept each other as best friends. We both put our son above all others. This helped when we found out that our son has Tourettes Syndrome and severe ADHD. We still to this day have daily contact with each other and share custody of our son. I am now back In Bucksport where my life began and Brian is in Hampden where his life began. We agree to raise our son to love everyone no matter what their financial, emotional, or physical status is. We have done a great job over the past ten years of raising our wonderful son. I am however not ready for our son to grow up into a young man. I have noticed signs that I embarrass him and that he no longer needs "mama's magic kisses" when he falls down. At least I now have another son that still needs me.