“Life here has been okay. I played outside and did all the kid shit that we did back in our day. My kids just go to school and play on the internet nowadays. They stay in the house because of the Covid stuff. I think the neighborhood gets a bad wrap but I got a 21 year old that graduated from school. I got a 15 year old that’s going to and she’s going to. I got a 6 year old, too, and she’ll graduate, too.

I had my first when I was sixteen.It was the best thing that ever happened to me. It saved my life because I was going down a bad path. You know how it is when you’re young. My mom never let me out of the house and I went buckwild. I ended up getting pregnant and taking care of my daughter and then moved on and got a job and my own spot. That’s basically it.

When I found out that I was pregnant, I was scared but happy. I never really felt a part of my family, so I knew I was about to have my own little family and unconditional love.My relationship with my kids is great. I couldn’t ask for a better relationship. It’s just more about me focusing on getting me together. I’m staying with my granny and I’m just trying to get a stable and safe place for us to live. I’d like to start on my education again. I have a special needs six year old, so I’d love to work with special needs kids. 

My six year old has a developmental delay and he has a shunt that drains his spinal fluid off of his brain and his left kidney doesn’t work. He’ll be walking this year for the first time and he just started singing. He loves YouTube. He’s been able to work the phone since he was one. He’s taught himself how to talk through singing. He’s come a long way. He wasn’t supposed to live, let alone walk or talk, so I’m too pumped right now.

Having my own family’s pretty much been my dream and I got that right now. I’ve got good kids and they have good heads on their shoulders. My daughter just started a job at GE and my fifteen year old does what he can to help my granny. He wants to be a barber. My six year old will probably be a drummer or a singer. 

We need a little bit more love instead of all of this meanness in the world. If there was a lot more love and a lot less of that, the world would be a happier place.” - Becky, Portland