A few weeks ago, I went to pick up my baby girl.
A few months later, she’s in her final year at school.
I have to say, it’s been a whirlwind year.
We moved to Vancouver in August, to escape a life where I spent my summers on the run, where I went from house to house, never knowing if I would ever be back.
I’d been thinking about this for a while.
I’ve tried to figure out how I’ll ever make it through to her fifth birthday.
How do I make it work?
What’s my next step?
My kids, they’re the reason I’m here.
They’ve always been there for me.
I was always on their side.
Now, I feel like I have a different life to live.
“The most important thing for me is that I don’t give up,” I told my daughter as she watched me pick her up.
I thought she might cry.
I didn’t.
I’m sure she didn’t either.
“You’re beautiful,” she said, then smiled and hugged me.
“That’s why you’re my hero.”
I was feeling a little lost.
But my life was on fire.
I had lost a lot, but I was starting to feel better.
I started to feel that I had a purpose and purpose is what I’m going to use to help other people.
And, so, I decided to take my daughter on a bike ride around the city.
I bought her some bikes and started to explore.
I loved the city, and I was trying to find someplace to live and do things that would give me some peace of mind.
One thing I found that made me feel better was seeing all these people who didn’t look so bad after all.
I found a guy with a smile and a smile.
A woman with a big smile.
I even met a woman with her baby on her hip.
She was a good-hearted person.
I liked the way she talked to me.
And she even helped me out a little bit with my grocery shopping.
That’s when I realized there’s this beauty in the small things that make life work.
“My biggest mistake is not giving up,” she told me.
We took the bike ride through the city and stopped at a lot of places that I thought might have some special treats or special treats for me and my baby.
We stopped at the park.
And we stopped at all these little cafes and coffee shops and cafes.
But I kept feeling like I wasn’t doing anything special.
“I feel like it’s kind of hard to make a dent in life,” I said to my daughter.
“Sometimes I think, I’m like, ‘Man, I should really get out of here.’
But I’m not.”
I kept saying to her, “If you’re going to make it, it has to be right.”
So I told her, I told everyone else.
I told friends I told people in my family.
And I told a lot more people.
I kept going.
I keep thinking, this is the first time I’ve really made it.
And then it happens.
My baby is my hero.
She’s my inspiration.
My little princess is my champion.
I think she’s going to live her whole life with that hero in her life.
“Darling, you’re beautiful.”
She said.
I smiled, because that’s how I feel about everything.
“It’s not easy being a mom.
There’s no way I can ever make everything right for my kids.
But you’re a hero for me.”
“I love you,” she answered.
I feel the same way about my daughter now.
I love her unconditionally.
And her love for me keeps me going.
The hardest part is not knowing if my life will ever work out.
“But you’re here for me,” she whispered in my ear, “and I’m gonna help you.”
I’m grateful.
I can’t wait to hear what she tells me.
