Thank you so much. I so appreciate your care and concern!

The sad thing is that this kind of dysfunction is normal for my family (maybe for a lot of poor black families...or poor people in general? I don't know, but this is normal for a lot of people I knew growing up and in the black community in the area around here. Most of the boys my brother and cousin grew up with are dead or in prison. My brother's in prison my cousin was murdered. And every generation from my grandmother down has the same pattern of single mothers raising kids with absent fathers due to neglect or they're in prison. My grandmother's dad wasn't in her life. Her children's father (my grandpa) wasn't in my mom, aunt, and uncle's life. My dad was barely around and spent time in prison. Same with my cousins and their dads. Now my brother is in prison not raising my niece (her mom has had issues so my grandmother has custody). My cousin is dead (spent time in prison too) not raising his children. My cousin (female) is raising her children alone (one's father is in and out of jail, the other's father just started a six year sentence). MADNESS!!!!

On one hand it's like my family gets that it's wrong, but on the other hand they don't? I don't know. I've read that dysfunctional families make excuses for their dysfunction.

Drugs, prostitution, gang banging, violence, dope boys, etc.

I honestly have no idea how I turned out the way I did. Why I didn't go down the same road as many people that I know of did in my family (didn't get caught up in the streets I guess). Did you know I was actually congratulated when I turned 18 because I didn't get pregnant?

I could see it as a child and I see it now. The way my family does things is just...off. I thank Yah that for whatever reason I took a different path. I'm not perfect, and I've definitely made mistakes. However, I'm so glad that I didn't take the route that so many in my family have taken.