| I remember of the hunger in my belly while trying to | | | | brought the family. |
| sleep at night remembering the taste of rabbits and | | | | I remember the water being carried from the well and |
| hens that my father raised, the vegetables in the not | | | | heated on the wood stove to bathe in. Being able to |
| big enough garden he planted. The berries we picked | | | | bathe only once a week in the steel tub-sharing the |
| and ate during the day to help the hunger. | | | | same water with my brothers and sisters. Wishing I |
| I remember when the shoes on my feet were too | | | | could bathe in a real tub with running water-using as |
| small and hurt my feet or to big they wouldn't stay | | | | much hot water as I wanted. |
| on-shoes that another child had worn out already. The | | | | I remember the man that tried to molest me as a child. |
| clothes that people had given me, outdated and falling | | | | I remember the loneliness and heart-ache of the |
| apart. Taking what cloths were left after my sister | | | | separation of my family-not knowing where my |
| picked through the hand-me-downs and having only a | | | | brothers and sisters were. Moved from home to |
| thin worn out coat in the freezing winter to wear. | | | | home-having to share space, food, and a bed with |
| I remember going to school and being laughed at | | | | other foster children. Being physically abused by a |
| because we were poor-walking home from school in | | | | foster boy in one of the homes-running away to find |
| tears-having no friends except the immediate neighbor | | | | help. |
| kids to play with. Wishing that I had dolls to play with | | | | I remember the abuse I endured as a young |
| like the other girls. In the winter, sliding on hills on tire | | | | adult-emotionally drained and feeling useless-wanting to |
| tubes and cardboard-having no sleds. | | | | end the pain. Leaving everything behind with no place |
| I remember being cold in bed at night with only one | | | | to go-no money or food-sleeping in a car-feeling alone. |
| wool blanket to keep me and my sister warm-the ice | | | | Having to find a new job and making new friends in a |
| that hung from the nails coming through the roof. My | | | | strange place. |
| hands and feet numb from the cold. Getting up in the | | | | I remember the beatings in a new relationship and |
| morning hurrying to get to the wood stove to get | | | | couldn't find a way out. The nightmares I still had from |
| warm in hopes there would be room for me with all | | | | the past relationship. The guilt I felt with mixed emotions |
| the others. | | | | when I watched him die. Wanting to find someone to |
| I remember of picking berries in the summer to sell and | | | | share my life and love with-wanting not to waste the |
| shoveling snow in the winter for neighbors to buy | | | | rest of my life. |
| Christmas gifts-a candy bar for each one. I remember | | | | I remember all those bad times-it made me the person |
| at Christmas when the few toys I received had | | | | I am today. The thing that is most important is God |
| already been played with. I remember of eating turkey | | | | gave me life-a beautiful gift. |
| for supper on Christmas that social services had | | | | |