Because of his Sacrifices

This year has had such a negative effect on many families. People have lost jobs, became homeless, and struggle to support their kids. Some people have battled sickness, and some have failed. The fight against racial injustice has finally come to a peak. California and Australia burned worse than ever before. With everything going on this year, I'm grateful that my family hasn't been negatively affected. We are doing better than ever, and I have one man to thank, my boyfriend Travis.

I met him in January 2018 in-person after 4 months of talking online. I was 8 months pregnant with my daughter Lilith, and her father had chosen to have no part in her life, leaving me as a single mother. We didn't establish a relationship till May 8th, 2018. At that time, Lilith was 2 months old. A lot of people would say we moved too fast, but it worked for us. We moved in together, and he jumped into the dad role for Lilith almost immediately. He and his family fell in love with her. Never once has any treated her as if she wasn't his daughter just because she isn't biologically. He is her dad, and she is his daughter, and they have such a fantastic relationship.

It wasn't long that I became pregnant. Lilith was 5 months old, and Travis and I had been together for 3 months. We had another little girl. We named her Lotus. Early into my pregnancy, I was fired from my job. And we decided I would be a stay at home mom. We weren't in the best position for me to not work. We lived with his parents, and he made $15 an hour, but in January 2019, we got our first apartment. It was a steady incline for our family from there. Lotus was born on April 1st, 2019.

This year started with him making nearly double what he was making before, and we got into a 2 bedroom apartment in a safer area a month before the pandemic. We got lucky his career wasn't affected by the pandemic. He is a tree climber for trees that are over powerlines. We live in California and experience fires every year, and his company also goes and cleans up the dead trees after the fires. As the year went by, he started making more and more and was promoted to foreman. I sold my old car, and we got a new one. We're looking to getting a 3 bedroom house by February of 2021.

This year was the worst fire season in California history, but it provided his company with plenty of work, sadly it is 12 hour days 6 days a week out of town. He's making 6 figures, but we miss him so much, and I know he misses us. He is doing this for us.

I'm so thankful for him. I'm grateful he loves Lilith as his own. I'm thankful he's raised her so well and so lovingly since day 1. I'm so thankful for how hard he works to provide for us. If it weren't for him, I know we would not be doing so well during such difficult times. He sacrifices so much to keep us sheltered, fed, clothed, and give us all the things we want and don't need. He spoils us every chance he gets. I'm thankful he works so hard for me to stay home with our girls and raise them and teach them.

I have seen so many of my friends and family struggle this year because of the pandemic and the fires. But my daughters and I have been so blessed to have Travis.