I Took Back My Life, and This Is How You Can Too
Oct 18
3 min read
When you’ve been broken down to nothing—stripped of your name, your identity, your child—it’s easy to believe that nothing is left. That’s what they wanted me to think. When my adopted parents manipulated me into signing away guardianship of my son, they thought they’d finished the job. They’d broken me when I was seven, changing my name and locking me into their twisted reality. Taking Caleb from me when he was two? That was the nail in the coffin.
But here’s the truth they didn’t expect: I wasn’t finished.
You see, it’s easy to let the world break you when you’re standing on the edge of nothing, staring into the dark, but what they don’t tell you is that sometimes hitting rock bottom is the only way to rise. I didn’t give up, even when I lost everything. I didn’t break, and I’m here to remind you—neither will you.
When I lost my son, I lost myself. Or at least, I thought I did. I drank away the pain. I burned bridges with everyone who tried to reach me because I was convinced I was nothing but the wreckage they left behind. But then Anthony came into my life and showed me that there’s more to me than the scars, more than the pain, more than the mistakes. He didn’t try to save me—he stood by my side and watched me pull myself out of the hell I was stuck in.
Here’s what I’ve learned in this battle:
No One Will Save You—Except Yourself. People can love you, support you, and be there for you, but at the end of the day, you’re the one who’s got to choose to fight. I had every excuse to give up, and trust me, I almost did. But I made the choice to stand the fuck up and fight for my life.
Your Past Doesn’t Define You, Your Fight Does. The world will try to lock you in a box labeled "broken," but that label only sticks if you let it. They took everything from me—my family, my son, my identity—but they couldn’t take the fire burning inside me. I took that shit back, piece by piece, and so can you.
You’re Allowed to Be Angry. Anger isn’t your enemy—it’s fuel. Don’t let people tell you to be quiet, to sit down, or to be grateful for whatever scraps you’ve been given. If you’ve been betrayed, abandoned, or destroyed, you have every right to burn with rage. Use it. Let it light your way out.
Reclaiming Yourself Takes Time. This isn’t an overnight victory. I’ve been clawing my way out of the pit for years, and I’m still not done. But every step you take forward, no matter how small, is a victory. Don’t ever forget that.
They tried to take everything from me, and for a long time, I let them win. But the only way they truly win is if you stay down. I’m here, standing, fucking roaring in the face of all that bullshit. So if you’ve been broken, if you’re standing in the dark wondering if it’s worth it to keep going, hear me when I say: it is. Keep fighting. Keep screaming. Take back what’s yours. Because if I can do it, so can you.
Remember, this blog isn’t for everyone. It’s for the fighters, the ones who’ve been through hell and are still standing. I’m not here to sugarcoat anything. Life ripped me apart, and I know it’s done the same to many of you. But we don’t stay down. We rise. And that’s what makes us unbreakable.
