Starting Over

Dallas was fun. I'm definately glad I got the chance to go.




My Aunt's and friends of the family always tell me how proud they are of my siblings and myself and what a great job my momma has done of raising us. Before I used to always say thank you, but that was just to be polite. I never really saw what they were actually talking about. Of course I always believed that my momma did a great job of raising us and that's partly because I love my momma so much and would do anything for her. Then it hit me one day what they were seeing that I never really stepped back to look at. I was always proud of my siblings myself, but now I'm a lot more proud of them. I guess I'll start at the top and work my way down.

My momma: She's made so many sacrafices our whole lives and without her none of us would be in the great positions that we're in. This summer alone she's basically given up her car so that the rest of us could always get to where we needed to be. Always puts us first and never asks for much in return. She knows when things are wrong with us, but doesn't try to force stuff out of us, yet she always knows the right things to say to help.

Monica: She's graduated from Texas A&M and has had many big job offers, but none that quite suited her. But she's taken a couple other jobs. For awhile she was working three different jobs putting in 70 hours a week. Earlier this year she bought her a new car. She's always been the independent type and can take care of herself. And she's always looked out and taken care of me. At one point she stopped doing a lot of things for me, but it was time she did that because I needed to start doing things for myself, which ended up helping me out a lot more. Yet when I made the transition to college there she was again looking out for me and always being there for me.

Marlon: He had a dream to become a pilot back in the day and he went out and accomplished that. Sterling had an Aviation program so he went there and came out with his pilots liscense. He became the top pilot at TSU and could've graduated from TSU this past May, but he got an internship with Continental Express and to take part in the internship you have to be an undergraduate student. Now he'll take 3 hours in the fall and he'll walk in december. He recently purchased his 2nd car. Both of which hold it down, especially this one. He stays on the grind. For the past 3 or 4 years he's worked 32 hours on the weekend at Hobby Airport. I remember having to wake up at 5 in the morning when he first got the job to take him to work, but I knew he was doing big things so I didn't complain. Shortly after he turned 21 he got his concealed handguns liscense and I only wish that my shot was as good as his. He not only obtained his liscense with a near perfect score, but did it after his front sight fell off after the first 10 shots. With my dad out of my life he's been the male that I've looked up to the most and he's taught me so much. We fought a lot in the past, but I couldn't ask for a better brother.

Marlene: She's taken care of me more and spoiled me more than anybody else in my family. She'd do anything for me and a lot of times still will now, but I won't really let her anymore. She's done plenty for me. College hasn't been the easiest time for me, but her room has always been open to me. She's always been there if I've needed someone to hang out with or just a place to chill. My depression probably would've been a lot worse without her there with me. She got her first job in the 9th grade and has been working since. In december she will be finished with all of her classes that she needs to graduate. Then she'll do student teaching for a semester and will walk this coming May. I already know she's going to make one hell of a teacher just like my momma.

Matthew: I still don't quite see all that much to be proud of in myself, but that's partly because I'm always so hard on myself. I made it through high school fairly easily because my pride wouldn't let me fail like I did in middle school. I've had my few accomplishments in basketball, but that was mostly because of God given talent. In college so far I've struggled, but my friends and family haven't let me give up so I'll go back for at least one more semester and try again. I definately want to graduate from college, I'm not sure it'll be A&M, but somewhere. Last semester I'm starting getting back to my old form and I'm hoping that continue this school year and I can be proud of myself again.

My family has been through a lot of rough times, but we've stuck by each other the whole time and I couldn't be prouder to be a part of this family. Every member of my family has helped me so much and influenced my life more than I could've imagined. I'm so thankful I have them all in my life. I definately wouldn't be the person I am today without them helping me along the way.

Now when people say they're proud of my siblings and myself and how great a job my momma has done of raising us I now what they're actually talking about and can truly say thank you.