Dear Anita,

I think as I child I was more sensitive, particularly to my relationships with others, fearing betrayal or not being accepted. I wanted to be the center of attention, and with my friends, I would be jealous if my best friend was hanging out with another friend or if they were being taken away from me by another person. It was easy for me to feel like people didn’t like me, that I wasn’t enough, and I had my insecurities.

The type of people I watched out for were those that my mother considered “bad” lifestyles or dangerous people. She would claim how those with tattoos, piercings, and that smoked cigarettes or did drugs I should stay away from. This sort of stereotype has made it hard to accept people no matter their circumstances; this sort of guidance has always made me look at certain people with a type of disgust. I know this is all stereotypical, but it’s been engrained in my head. She also spoke about making sure to find the right one, one that will respect you and love you. She mentioned I need to spend a lot of time getting to know someone before spending my life with them. Also talked about getting a job in the future that allows time for my family. I know that my mother didn’t get as much time as she would’ve liked from my biological father because of work and his interests, and that also led to a lack of help taking care of us children.

Scott