Can't believe I've been in Odessa 10 years!!!

Wow! It's hard to believe but today marks the 10th anniversary of the biggest decision I've ever made in my life. 10 years ago today I hit the road to the "big city" of Odessa  and came to live with my dad and my step mom. I can honestly say that it was the best decision of my life. I was having a really hard time in El Paso. I was bullied by the rich kids of the west side. I was made fun of by the cheerleaders. I just wasn't happy. My mom and I didn't get along. And neither did Tony and I. It was just time to move on and try life some where else. The past 10 years in Odessa have been nothing short of amazing! I've had so many wonderful friend, high school was everything I could have ever asked for, and of course my 2 beautiful babies! For 9 years I never once doubted my move. I've always believed it was the choice I could have ever made. Most days, I still feel that way. But I have to admit there are some days where I wonder... If i had stayed could I have helped/saved Tony? I know I was only 15, and it makes sense that I went for the option benefited me the most. I just can't help but wonder sometimes if I could've helped. But there's no going back and even if I could.... I don't think that I would. If I hadn't moved here I would've never met Jayson.. who although drug my heart through hell and back was one of the closest friends I ever had. He taught me so much, he helped me grow into the person I am today and I will ALWAYS have a special place in my heart for him... even if I want to keep him a memory and not a part of my future. I wouldn't have such an amazing relationship with my step mom Rhonda, she is without a doubt my best friend. I don't know how I could've gotten through life without her. There are so many other people I'm so grateful I've met through out these 10 years and I wouldn't trade it for the world. David, Adrian, Anna, Alexis, Melissa, Jayson, Russell, Lesli, TJ, Tammy, April, Ellie, Keesha,  and so many many many more. All the people I've met/dealt with in the past 10 years made me who I am today. Some made me stronger and wiser. Some made me bitter and more cautious. Two of them made me a mother. I am truly grateful God has led me down this path for the past years, no matter how painful it was at times. The past 8 months has honestly been the most painful, and some how at the same time the most amazing months of this journey. 8 months and 2 weeks ago Jessie and I took the next step in our friendship into a relationship. It has been a tough ride and we don't always get along and we kinda go back and forth more than I'd like to admit, but he is the love of my life. A week after we got together, about 8 months and a week ago Tony took his own life. I know that I have a lot of friends and an amazing family to support me through this. Even with that being said, I'm just not sure how I would've made it through these past 8 months with out Jessie by my side. He has been there for me at 1:00 AM when I have a bad dream. He's held me while I cried after just talking about what a  picky eater Tony was. He knows me inside and out and he knows what kind of support to offer and when. He knows when I can't talk about it and he knows when I need to. I doubt he'll admit to this, he constantly tells me he doesn't know how to help me through this. But that's the thing, just being in the same room with him makes me feel better. Seeing his smile and listening to his heart beat makes me a little calmer when I'm on the verge or in the middle of a sobfest. If I hadn't moved to Odessa, I wouldn't have Brooke, Bryson or Jessie and I just can't imagine my life without them. Even if Jessie and I don't stay together forever, I know that we'll at least be friends. I am so blessed to have found a guy like him. We may not always get along and we might not have the type of relationship others think we should but we are who we are and I know that in the end it's in God's hands and I take comfort in knowing that.


This blog kinda took a different direction than I meant for it to, but once I get typing and getting it off my chest sometimes I just can't stop. :)

What is normal??

Normal... What is normal?? In September I was a single mom with 2 kids, by 2 different dads and had never lost a single person that was close to me to death. Is that normal? Late September I became a single mom, with a boyfriend. Was that normal? Then in October my world was shattered. Completely turned upside and completly shocked me to the depths of my soul. I lost my baby brother to suicide. I became a survivor to a suicide victim. Is that normal?? I've been blessed with an amazing support group. From the littlest one (Bryson) to the tallest (Jessie) and every one in between. I have had unwaivering amazing support. Unfortunatly my mom lives thousands of miles away and in a place where she's only been a few years. She doesn't have any life long friends there. She doesn't have any family there. However she does have my nephew Leo. She also has his mom. Sadly there are some people around her who don't quite understand the pain of losing a child. On top of that losing a child who chose to take his own life for reasons known and unknown alike. She feels like several people around her expect her to be normal again, after all it's been 8 months..almost. Right? Wrong... That seriously pisses me off that people are treating her (and sometimes me) like we should just pick up the pieces of our broken heart, use some duct tape and everything goes back to "normal". Well I have news for all of you. WE ARE GRIEVING. Not only did the world lose a beautiful soul, an amazingly handsome man, an incredibly smart brain, an extravagant imagination and so much more. My mother lost her son. I lost my brother. My children lost their uncle. And although he wasn't born yet... Leo lost his father. So for those of you who have little to no compassion for a grieving mother, sister, and my brother's friends and family. This is our new normal. Breaking down in tears while driving down the road because you see a little red car is normal. Holding back from crying just because of a song on the radio is normal. Having to fake a smile and an acceptable answer when people ask how you're doing is normal. So all I'm asking is for a little acceptance and paitence when it comes to the tears, and the grief. When it's a little harder to find joy in things that once warmed your heart. So although I haven't had the problems that my mom has had with people accepting the new normal. I am praying, and ask for you to do the same to open the eyes and hearts of the people that surround my mother. Also please pray for peace and healing over her heart.

Who'd of thunk it??

This blog is more for people who used to know me when I lived in El Paso. When I was anti-cheer leader. Anti-School spirit. Anti anything happy. I was bullied by the rich kids and looked down on by others. I'm not going to go into that too much but just to say that thank God I made it out of there without being broken. Now don't get me wrong... this wasn't my mom's fault or anyone else's so please don't feel guilty (unless you were the one singing that hurtful song).  Anyway, onto bigger and better things....

It's crazy to think that I was and still am one of the most school spirited people I know!! I love OHS and the bronchos and I can't wait to see Brooke be a cheerleader there or showgirl and to see Bubba wear that red jersey!! How ironic that I am the mother to a cheerleader... those of you who know me in El Paso.. no one would've ever thought that would happen!! I just signed her up for a summer cheer program through the Permian Basin Youth Football League and then she's signed up and paid for 1st grade mini peps through the OBGC. I was just sitting here thinking how much my life has changed! If you would've told me at 15 that at 25 year old you'll have blonde highlights, work out almost daily, go tanning, have 2 kids, one of which is a cheerleader. I know it's sounds weird but I would've done anything to avoid having my life "end up like that". But I can't imagine my life any other way!! Every day I wake up excited about another day in my life. Excited about going to work. Loving my babies. Praising and worshiping my God. Jessie and I are good friends and having him as a part of my life honestly does help more than I can imagine. I know some of you are gonna think I'm crazy but I do love him and I do still have hope that maybe eventually we'll be an official couple again. (When we're both ready) In the mean time I'll just love my life with my kids, my job, my church, my family, my friends and my.. whatever you wanna call him ha ha ha, my "friend" Jessie. Anyway... a lot of my blogs have been sad and about Tony but I figured I needed to post a happy one. Don't get me wrong I miss my brother daily and I cry often still. But I have to push forward and live my life the way I was before. I was completely 100% happy before and I know I can get there again. I believe I can be happy and still love and miss my Tony. He is my baby brother and I helped raise him for the first 11 years of his life. He was my first love, I remember thinking how lucky I was every time I held that baby boy. Every time we snuggled up in mom's bed or even when we fought. I thought... with that kind of passion that boy is gonna do something big. Unfortunatly he didn't see that potential and now his spirit lives on through Leo.


Hope everyone has an amazing Wednesday! Sorry for the super scattered post!

Who am I? part 2

A few days ago I wrote a blog titled, Who am I? Where I talked about all the different things I am to lots of different people. A few days after that....my whole identity changed again. My heart was shattered all over again. The past 4 months with Jessie have been amazing. Amazing beyond words. We'd been friends for a while before we became a couple and I guess taking that step was all it took for me. I fell head over heels in love with him. I honestly thought the maybe, just maybe I might have finally found the one I was meant to be with. We would have a few arguements here and there but we worked through them. I've never had that, in the past if my boyfriend and I fought, then we were done. During the 4 months we were together there was one thing thus bugged me. Just one, he didn't include me in his plans. Maybe it's dumb but hey it's my choice. So this weekend, once again I was going to be left out. I got upset and in my anger I cancelled our Friday plans and made other ones. It was a dumb and immature thing to do, but I did it. Now that it's over, I'm glad that I did. It showed me who he really was and what he really wanted. Most importantly it showed me what he didn't want. What he didn't want was to fight for me. So needless to say it's over. I'm not talking bad about him. I loved him, and I still do. He was an amazing boyfriend most of the time. He loved my kids and treated them right. A few years ago I wrote a list. A list of things I want in a guy. Jessie has every single one of those things. Unfortunately it didn't work out. I'm older than I was when I wrote that list and looking at it now. I know most of those things don't matter. They aren't what makes a relationship work. They aren't what makes a marriage work. So, even though it hurts. Even though there have been tears and there will be more. I know it's what best for me and my children. So I've decided I need to write a different blog telling who I am.

So here it goes.... I am still and will always be Brooke and Bryson's mother. I am Mike, Karen, and Rhonda's daughter. I am still Anthony, Keeghan and Khaiden's big sister. Still Lesli's best friend. I am also still a survivor of suicide. But I am no longer Jessie's girlfriend. I no longer believe I'm living my happily ever after, when it comes to that aspect of my life.

Here are some things I forgot to mention in my last blog. I am loved. I am sacred. I am a child of God and he died for me. I am saved and I have an eternal life waiting for me. Today I signed up to be baptized at my church. It's a requirement that members have been baptized by immersion. The past 4 months have been the hardest 4 months of my life. Begining with Tony's death and just kind of spiraling from there. I've been searching for and grasping for and begging for God to come into my life. So I've finally made the choice to start fresh. I want to be baptized and start a new and better relationship with Christ. With no exaggeration my world is collapsing around me and I can't take it. So I've made this choice with a heavy heart hoping and knowing God can carry my load. Thank you for the support to those who have been there for me these past 4 months. Even though it didn't go the way I wanted it to... Thank you to Jessie who was there for me these past few months. Thank you for showing me I can love someone the way it's meant to be. Not because it was "love at first sight". Not because I'm pregnant and it's the "right thing to do". But just because I love you. Because you loved me. This is just another part of my life that I can look back on and say it made me who I am today. Because of this experience I can say that I know I will love someone some day. The difference is, I know that someone who I love will treat me the way I deserve to be treated.


I am so excited to start on this new journey with my Saviour. I am excited to see what he can and will do in my life. What he will do to help me heal from all the changes I have experience in such a short time. My faith and my trust is in him now and have to believe he will make my life the happy place it was before October.

Who am I??

Who are you?? That's an interesting question. I'm a lot of things to a lot of people. Let's see.... First and foremost... I am mother to Brooke Michelle and Bryson Kole. I'm Mike and Karen's daughter. I'm Rhonda's step daughter. I'm Anthony's, Keeghan's and Khaiden's sister. I'm a niece to Patricia, Laura, Alfonso, Stacy, Frank, Terri, and Trey. I'm cousin to Kristin, Lane, Natalie, Jakob, Zachary, Kelly and others I'm sure. I am Lesli's best friend. I am Jessie's girlfriend. I'm friend to many. And so much more. But a few months ago I became someone else. Something else... I am now a survivor. I've never been listed by name as a survivor on an obituary. Until now. Now I am a survivor, not just to my brother's death. To my brother's suicide. It's so much harder to deal with. It's so much harder to understand. There are so many questions left unanswered. So many questions left unasked.

Being a SOS wasn't something I planned. Wasn't something I wanted. Wasn't anything I'd ever imagined being. Yes, Tony was suicidal more than once, but they say when people talk about it they won't do it because they want help. This was one of those times, Tony talked about it with friends. Unfortunately they didn't believe him. Matt did, and Matt called me, I didn't believe him. =( Even if I did, there was nothing I could do for Tony in Maryland and while in Texas.

The upside to this, as weird as that sounds.... The upside is it gives me the chance to help people. It gives me the chance to make a difference. It has made me stronger... while bringing me to my weakest. There was a point I honestly thought I'd cry every day for the rest of my life. Don't get me wrong, most days I still cry. But it's occasionally during the day, mostly at night. This has been a learning experience. It's been painful, unimaginable, and just plain unbearable at times. But that's the thing... I have survived. And I will continue to survive. For my children, for my mother, for my friends. I have to, there isn't another option.

Every day gets a little easier, and some days are like it's back to square one. I know that there's so much to look forward to and that's what kind of breaks my heart the most. Tony isn't going to see his niece and nephew grow up. He loved them so much and now he's not going to get to experience that first hand. I know he's watching from above but it's not the same. He's not going to get to enjoy Leo growing up. My brother has a son. A son. I'm an aunt. That's still hard so wrap my mind around but it's true. That gorgeous little mini Anthony is my nephew. He's a little piece of Tony we have here with us. It's gonna be a long and bumpy road but it's gonna be so worth it.

There's no way you can know

I'm pretty sure the worst thing someone has said to me since Tony died is "I know how you must be feeling." I'm sorry but shut the hell up and get the eff away from me! There is no chance in hell you know what or how I'm feeling. Let me give you an example. Just imagine your little brother, or little sister. Maybe think of your best friend or boyfriend. Possibly your husband or wife. Hell even a distant cousin or someone you're related to through marriage. OK now imagine that person thinking that your life would be better without them in it. That you can sleep easier at night because you won't be worrying about them. That you will be happier with them gone. I know it's hard to believe or imagine... but just stay with me....


That person that you're thinking of.... imagine that they don't wanna go away by moving. They aren't gonna break up with you. Stop talking to you. Divorce you. Run away. Block you on Facebook. Delete your number from their contact list. Imagine that person does the unimaginable and takes his or her life in order to make yours better. So tell me, how do you feel? I can promise you with 100% certainty it's not even a fraction of the pain my family has gone through with my brother's death.
　
Anthony was an amazing person. He had a complex mind, was amazingly handsome, and had a sense of humor few of us will even get to experience. That's the good in him. But because of his depression or whatever it was that caused him to be sick, he wasn't easy to live with. We fought on a daily basis and it drove our mom crazy. We had sibling rivalry that would make super nanny cringe. Tony didn't have a job until he was 20. He liked to lay around and do nothing. Sometimes he did things that were unlawful. Shoplifting, smoked pot and whatever. But that doesn't matter. He was my brother, I loved him unconditionally. He was a beautiful baby boy. He was my lifeline for as long as I can remember. I wanted only the best for him. No girl was ever going to be good enough for him in my eyes. No other kid could mess with him the way I did. Anthony was an amazing uncle. My daughter Brooke adored him. He hung the moon in her eyes. She wanted to constantly play peek a boo. She wanted to just sit with him on his bed and pet Tiger while he played on the computer. It didn't matter what they were doin, if we were in El Paso she wanted to be by her Uncle Tony.


Anthony had an eye for beauty that most people can only hope for. His photography was breathtaking. He loved to sketch and doodle and be random. He was into the weirdest music (in my opinion), and his favorite color had AWAYS ALWAYS been green. As he grew it changed from dark green to lime green. But for as long as I can remember he loved green.


I guess my point is, no Tony wasn't easy to live with. He made us mad. Had us worried. Drove us crazy. Pushed our buttons. Most important my point is.... he was a light in our lives. He was someone we loved and will love forever. He was an incredible friend to most anyone he met. He could melt hearts with his smile and probably charm the pants right off any girl he wanted. My brother was a remarkable person. Inside and out. I guess what I'm trying to say... is although he wasn't easy to live with. It's going to be damn near impossible to live without him. Every single day and all day long he's on my mind like never before. Maybe that's the problem, now that he's gone we are pouring out our emotions toward him. While I don't want that to stop, I think we need to also focus on the living. We need to love and hug and kiss and praise the ones we have with us here. We need to let the ones we love know that we love them. We need to make sure that no one we know will ever feel like our lives would be better without them. Because I promise regardless of how tough it is to "deal" with them, it's so much worse without them at all.

I only thought I knew heartbreak....

Heartbreak. We all use the term all the time. "It breaks my heart to see him cry." "He left me and it broke my heart." But I don't think I ever really truly knew what it meant to have a broken heart. At least not until the night I lost my baby brother. The pain I felt when I found out was gut wrenching. It was emotional. It was physical. It was a pain so deep down inside of me I honestly thought I would die of the literal heartbreak. My chest felt like it would explode. I thought my head was swelling. My knees went weak. My belly did flips and twists. That was just the phyisical. There are no words to describe the emotional.


Since that day, my heart has remained broken. The tiniest little things set me off. The most mundane tasks seem like they take all the energy I have. My patience is so very thin these days. Even on my happiest days I feel like there's a part of me missing. I feel like I'm not whole. I have a scary feeling that I'll never feel that way again. I learned a lot last night. While talking @ the SOS group, the professional of the group explained it can take the brain almost a year to realize someone is really gone. He said even though we know Tony is gone. Sometimes we'll hear the phone ring and think it's him. We might see a little red car going down the road and hope it's him in the dirvers seat. It really comforted me for him to say that. Because even 15 weeks later, something will happen and I'll think, wow Tony needs to hear that. Sometimes I'll even go so far as to log onto Facebook and then realize....oh yeah. It doesn't feel real. It doesn't feel permanent. I know that it is, but I guess part of me hopes he's gonna call my mom and be like... SIKE!


Today I found out the truth. I am an Aunt. I have a beautiful little nephew named Leo. He looks just like Tony and we didn't really need the DNA test. But I'd rather be safe and know for sure. It's so bitter sweet. If Tony had known about Leo I truly believe he would have fought harder for his life. There's few things he wanted more in life than to be a father. He didn't have a relationship with his dad and so he couldn't wait to form that bond with a baby. When we thought she lost the baby he was devastated. We found out less than a month after his death, the baby was due on Christmas day.

Anyway... I digress, this is not what I wanted to write about. I guess I don't know what I wanted to write about because this blog was ridiculous and scattered. The point is, the baby is alive and well and beautiful and Tony's. Hopefully one day I'll get to meet Leo and hold him and hug him just like I did with Tony when he was a baby. I'm sure it'll be emotional. It might almost be too much to bear. However, it has to be done one day. It is what it is and nothing will change that.