Cocaine And Alcohol. Let's Par-Tay!

It's tragic that some people choose to live that way, especially when they are carrying a life. That  life, that child, didn't choose to be born cocaine and alcohol addicted. That child didn't choose to be affected by Fetal Alcohol Effects. That child didn't choose the cards they were dealt. But they damn sure can choose how they play those cards.

A few of my kids were dealt those very cards. It's been interesting to see how they've played them. A couple have gone off the deep end and decided to return to the very life they came from before being placed as my children. It's a shame, but it was their choice.

One of my children, my daughter Nikki, was dealt a pretty shitty hand. On her hospital records the nurses noted "infant smells like a brewery." She was also filled to the brim with cocaine. She was three pounds of pure addiction. You can read more of her story here.

Turns out my little "Cupcake" can play a mean hand of cards. It took me three years after her high school graduation to talk her into taking one college class. I wanted her to get her feet wet. I wanted her to meet people. I wanted her to know she could succeed.

Today when I drove up to the mailboxes at the end of our cul-de-sac I heard, "MOM, I PASSED! I MADE IT INTO READING 115!" I could see each and every tooth in that sparkling smile. She was practically jumping up and down.

As soon as I got in the house she showed me her test results, her face beaming. Then she took the paper and put it on the refrigerator for everyone else to see. She was SO proud of herself, and she should be. 

She hit a milestone today, not really making it into Reading 115, but by gaining the confidence to know she can do it.  She didn't let her learning difficulty get in the way. She worked her ass off and she played a royal flush. She hit the jackpot. She knows her future is in her very capable hands. My baby girl won and she has a mom that's saying, "I knew you could do it!"