This is a true story about my life. Only the names were changed to protect the identity of my family. I am portrayed as Sierra. I was born in 1976 to a poverty-stricken family in the South. My father was an egotistical man who did not want a family, and my mother was a melodramatic woman who longed for a fairy tale. My parents divorced when I was four years old, and Mom moved on to a man named Gregory who she believed was the man of her dreamsthe polar opposite of my dad. That relationship began our life of hell, and thus my struggle began. Gregory turned out to be a monsternot only an alcoholic, but a paranoid schizophrenic. He beat Mom regularly for six years while I hid in the shadows. Our home life was unstable; we lived in campers, run-down shacks, and dilapidated trailers with no heat or electricity. Constant chaos ensued as we tried to desperately survive the horror story that was our lives. Gregory controlled us and treated us as his personal slaves, and Mom dutifully endured while I accumulated resentment within. I was a quiet, introverted child who internalized everything. Everyone thought I was dealing with the situation beautifully and therefore offered me no help or support. My faith in God pulled me through those times and made me into a stronger, better person. Despite growing up in poverty without loving parents or family and with the troubles I have had in relationships, I have done well for myself. God has blessed me beyond measure. I credit all my success to God and give him the glory.