OPEN DOORS

Chapter 1 Time to Face the World

  "Your life is over." 

"What have you done?" 

"You're finished." 

"Foster her."  

  Those words were playing over and over in my mum'shead. These words plagued and haunted her. 

It was a beautiful summer's day in June 1975. My mumwas sixteen years old and pregnant. In love, so mymum thought, giddy-headed... now she's pregnant."When am I going to tell my parents", she thought. Shewas frightened, terrified, alone and scared. She had todo this all by herself. This was real. It was true. 

She was sixteen, and her boyfriend had left her. Sheleft school with no qualifications, and her dad had toldher to pack her bags and leave, so she did. My mumleft home in the middle of the night and went to live withher first serious boyfriend. She told him everything thathad happened, so he decided to take care of my mum.My mum lived with her boyfriend and his parents for afew months, but they then decided to move out and move into their own house. Life was on the up, butunfortunately, it wasn't to last. After a while, they brokeup, and she went and lived with her sister. 

Later down the line, my mum moved back home withher parents when I was three years old. If I was in mymum's shoes, I don't know how I would have been ableto handle so much weight on my shoulders. I wonder ifpeople thought nothing good will ever come from her.She felt lost, broken and distraught. She thought toherself, "I will amount to nothing." 

"They were right." 

"What am I going to do with my life?" 

 The baby's father was not around, and she had brokenup with her boyfriend. Where was life going now? 

The door to her life was closed, or so it seemed. Fastforward nine months and spring is in the air. Theseason has changed. She thought, "Maybe my life willchange too". March 21st, 1976 came, and shewelcomed her beautiful baby girl into the world!

  Life will have its ups and downs, but what matters ishow you deal with your circumstances. Yourperspective will determine the outcome of life. 

The boyfriend is now out of the picture. She thought, "Ihave to move on for my baby's sake". 

"How am I going to let my baby grow up without a dad?" 

"She will ask questions." 

"What will I say?" 

So young, with the world on her shoulders. My mumhad to make a decision. A decision that she wasn't sureof what to expect, or what the outcome would be. "Am Idoing the right thing?" 

For me, growing up with my mum and nan was great.They were great role models, I couldn't have asked formore.      

  Let me start with my mum. She has taught me so manylessons and continues to this day. "You can achieveanything if you put your mind to it" my mum would say.My mum is a strong-minded and determined individual.Despite life's challenges, she strived to make her lifehave meaning and purpose. She left school withoutGCSE's. Back then, they were called O Levels. But inorder to achieve, she had to start from the bottom. 

"Never give up, what will you achieve if you quit?" I'msure my mum faced many challenges as I was growingup. She never wanted to show it. She has a fightingspirit which I admire. She instilled in me the attitude toalways try your best, which I now instil into my children.No matter the task, big or small, you must do your best.

  My mum always treated people with respect. Shetreated people how she would like to be treated. "Itdoesn't matter how they treat you" she would say. "Youhave to see past that and see the good in everybody".