From Trash Bags to Tassel

I didn’t climb the ladder, I built it.

To the girl who thought her whole future was just popping out babies and saying “I do”— turns out that was just the prologue.

To the teenager who got told “school’s not for you”—that was just the prologue.

To the twenty-something who spent seven years pregnant or nursing, five kids deep, while everyone else was “finding themselves”— prologue.

To the bride who realized too late that “love, honor, and obey” came with fists and fear - still just the prologue.

To the 29-year-old suddenly single with five kids, zero money, and whatever fit in a couple of trash bags - prologue.

To the 30-year-old who cried into her pillow wondering if the electricity would stay on another month — yep, still prologue.

Now, at 33, after the religious guilt trips, the teen marriage, the beatings, the assault, the rock-bottom restart with literally nothing but the clothes on my back...

I just earned my secondary school diploma, and pinned on the title Educational Assistant.

Done. Official. Mine.

I didn’t just crawl out of hell, I built a whole damn ladder and climbed.

And because the universe apparently has a sense of humour, exactly one hour after graduation my phone rang with a full-time, permanent job offer.

I’m not emotional, you’re emotional.

No, seriously, I am proud as hell!