Anchor in the Chaos

     The summer of 2007 was a turning point in my life. Leaving Pickerington, Ohio meant saying goodbye to the familiar—a town I had called home for two years, my first jobs at Steak N Shake and Kroger Marketplace, and countless friendships and acquaintances. But the hardest goodbye? Felisha .      Felisha wasn’t just a friend—she was my best friend. We had built a bond so strong that every weekend felt like an extension of our family lives. If I wasn’t at her house, she was at mine. There were days when we dressed as twins, just because we could. Our friendship was effortless, deep, and meaningful.      Our senior Prom was supposed to be something we skipped, but we realized that this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. So, we did what made sense—we went together as each other’s date. The night ended at Steak N Shake, filled with laughter and memories that would stay with me forever.      Felisha’s family became an extension ...

     Growing up, I was far from perfect—just like any other kid. I had my moments of mischief and misbehavior, but there was one particular habit that set me apart: I was a thief. And what did I steal, you may ask? Candy. Yep, something as small as candy. It wasn’t anything major, but the principle of it was clear: if I kept going down this path, it could lead to trouble as an adult.      As a kindergartener, I had a sneaky little routine. Our bathroom was located near the teacher’s desk, so I’d ask to use the bathroom, then secretly crawl my way into the teacher’s office and snatch candy from their stash. My dad caught wind of my sticky fingers and decided to take extreme measures to correct my behavior. He took me to the county jail to show me exactly where I would end up if I didn’t stop stealing. They put me in a cell alone (with my dad and an officer supervising), explaining how this could be my future if I kept it up.      Unfortunately...

     My childhood was filled with special moments that I’ll always hold close to my heart. When my dad and stepmom lived in Florida, we made countless memories there. Florida felt like home to me as a young girl—my dad’s side of the family lived there, and those were some of the best years of my life. I attended all of middle school in one place, which gave me a sense of stability, but high school was split between two different schools in the state.      One of my favorite memories is the time my dad and stepmom took us to SeaWorld and Discovery Cove , where we swam with dolphins. That was an unforgettable experience, something I still think about to this day.      Every holiday break from school , we spent time with Aunt Sharon.  Holidays were a huge part of my childhood, especially the three major ones we always spent with my Nana and Granddaddy — Easter, the Fourth of July, and Christmas . We looked forward to those moments all year...