Emotional Rollercoaster

EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOASTER
by a young woman at CSTC

I’m discharging soon.
It’s very, very scary
because I was on the streets before I came here
getting sexually assaulted
and beaten
and I’m not used to going to a new placement
because I was with this great foster parent
until she chose not to be my foster mom
and this felt like a sad situation
that I could never get over.

I’m going to a group home.
Once again, it’s very, very scary
because I’m meeting new people
and who knows if they’re good or bad.

Changes can be hard.
Changes can also be painful
because I’ve been through a lot
that’s made me realize
that I don’t want to become like my mom—
a drug addict, going to parties all the time
getting high, sexually assaulted,
and beaten.
I also don’t want to become like my dad—
joining gangs
and beating and sexually assaulting people.

I want to make my own good life out of it
and help people.
I want to make a challenge for myself
by fighting for other people
and making this not so challenging.

I would like the people at the new group home
to know some things about me,
that I’ve been through a lot
and I don’t want the same thing to happen again.

Dedicated to my foster mom