My Family Part 1; Momma

"To describe my mother would be to write about a hurricane in its perfect power."
-- Maya Angelou

My mother, Christie, is one of the most important people in my life. Without her I would be a wreck. She has gone through, and put up with, so much in her life. She is not a force to be reckoned with.

My mom was born Christie Jean Willams on May 7, 1971. Her mother, Norma, was only fifteen when she gave birth. Her father left my grandma the moment he found out she was pregnant. My mother, nor I, never met him. We don't even know his name.

In July of 1974 my grandmother married Rodney Buckham. He legally adopted my mother and her last name was changed to Buckham as well. A few years later, my grandparents had another child, Misty. My mother was thrilled to have a little sister, but she didn't know everything would change so much after she was born.

Misty was the obvious favorite. It was almost as if my grandma wanted my mom out of the picture. My mom felt like she was an embarrassment to my grandma. Why else would she allow Rodney to treat Misty so much differently, so much better? My mother started to feel as if it was her fault. She thought she never should have been born and messed everything up for my grandma's new family.

Nothing she ever did was good enough for my grandma. She was too fat, not smart enough, not enough like Misty. My mother doesn't hold it against Misty though, she loved her. If she did she'd be no better than her mother. Soon, my mother just got used to it (as used to it as you can, anyways).

Eventually she moved out with my father, who she met in high school. I was born on January 22, 1992. My mom was 20.
After I was born she decided to go back to school. She graduated with a degree in imaging sciences, (x-ray, Catscan, Mri), and she worked her way up the ladder to MRI.

My mother lives everyday with anxiety disorder and a recovering drug addict (my father). She is one of the strongest women I know, and she's my biggest fan. I love her with all my heart and I hope I can be as amazing as she is someday.

xoxo, Raven