I am a Mom of 4 boys ranging from 3 to 16. I live in the country. I love to read books, garden, paint, and hike, to name a few of my hobbies. I love to sing and dance. Of course I love hanging out with my boys. They are real cool, smart, creative, and hilarious. They entertain me. Where I am at today, with a beautiful family and life, has come from many years of hard work...counseling, self improvement activities, and weekly CoDa meetings (Co-Dependency Anonymous). I know for a fact that my children would have very different lives, if I hadn't spent the time working at, and healing myself. During those years, I wrote in a journal. What you read in my book came from the raw emotions associated with my child abuse. I felt as if I were re-living that abuse. It was well worth emptying myself of all that darkness and crud. It allowed for all that is bright and beautiful to take presence in me. Or you might say, the beauty within me was able to shine.