Light In The Dark Places

My sister who is 21 years younger than me gave me the LOVE key during the first Christmas she ever spent away from my parents. I felt deeply loved by the fact that she would choose my home for her holiday. We have always had a special connection from the day I witnessed her birth and held her for the first time. Thank you Lindsey for the joy and love you have shown me all these years!

I am giving this key to my step-daughter Stephanie. She is the one of the strongest people I have ever met. Her childhood was scarred by a mentally ill mother who neglected her needs and burdened her with the regrets and worries of an adult. She is the oldest of four and instead of experiencing the freedom of being a kid, she spent those years protecting her siblings from being exposed to the violence, drugs, neglect and abuse that is common with the mentally ill.

Now Stephanie is a mother of her own beautiful 3 yr old twins and I see her doing everything for them that her own mother could not do for her. She struggles with the anxiety of her past but is learning to overcome it through counseling, friendships and family support. She is a survivor and has so much love in her heart that in spite of her circumstances she can still bring joy to those around her. Keep it up Steph, you are a light in a world of darkness!