Change After Change

Hello counselor, I am 5 years old and today is my first day in kindergarten, its cold outside and my clothes aren’t completely dry because we don’t have a washer or dryer at home. I’m excited to make friends, they all smell like bubble gum and flavored color markers! Me and my parents and my newborn baby brother just moved from Mexico, we are all staying in a 5 ft by 4ft room with a space heater, I stop drinking water by 6 pm because it has been snowing and its cold to go pee in our porta john.

Hello counselor, I’m in fifth grade now and its hard to keep my friends around, my mommy says it’s because she’s sick and the other parents don’t want us around because they’re afraid we’ll make them sick. She told me before my baby brother was born, she was sick and the doctors where afraid he would get it too. But thankfully the disease hadn’t spread far enough to reach him before he was born... I am confused she told me it was something like HIB or something like that, I do not understand, aren’t my friends supposed to give us “get well soon” letters instead of being mean? I do not like them anymore.

Hello counselor, today I am officially a sophomore, I’m glad most of my friends from elementary have moved away or stopped bothering me about my mom after I punched Jane Doe in the face, it got old hearing her say my mom is a slut. And my stepfather sells her on the street. Maybe now they’ll worry more about their business, all my elementary and middle school teachers thought I wouldn’t make it this far because they thought I was going to get pregnant before I graduated, its funny how their class pets are the ones carrying babies to class now. I don’t think I want any kids anymore…

Hello counselor today I graduated high school, it has been a tough battle with my drug addiction, but today I can start getting clean. And help grandma pay the bills, I met this cute guy named Jhon Doe and I think he’s the man I want to marry, he loves working on cars and I love going to car meets with him looking like a pinup girl. I hate my stepdad he is a deadbeat husband to my mom and he always beats on her, after I get a job I’m kicking him out of our house my grandparents and brothers don’t like him either so I think they’ll support me.

Hello counselor, I have been working in the oilfield for a year now. I’m glad I got a divorce he was cheating on me while I was going to school to get my CDL and working on a junkyard a year ago, he didn’t want me to leave my hometown so it makes sense. I was hauling sand on the big rigs with pneumatic tanks but got promoted to Field Supervisor. I’m dating this guy that is very jealous... but I think that just means he loves me; he’s told me to lose weight I’m 121 pounds. I think he just cares about my diet.

Hello counselor I’ve been working as a stay at home wife I broke up with Jhon Doe 2 after he almost choked me to death, I was working with my cousin, he was gone to Puerto Rico for a year and when he came back he helped me realize I was 115 pounds living on coffee, alcohol and cigarettes. I was so far away from the rest of the family I hadn’t realized how bad this got. I met this new guy, he seemed a little country but he’s sweet. We’ve been together for a year already and he asked me to quit my job because wed barely see each other. I was hauling water now but it sure is nice to relax a bit till we get my food truck running I’m so excited for the future I’ve been clean for six years now, feels pretty good to finally be able to upgrade my grandmas home and help her pay the bills.

Hello counselor, today me and my fiancé broke up, I drove back home at midnight after he told me he’d take one of his female friends I don’t like to the new home we planned on getting together in Oklahoma. I found out two years ago he was cheating on his ex with several women and my trust was never the same. She was beautiful… I am always on edge when I’m home and he’s working sometimes I don’t hear from him as much. I do not think he loves me like he used to, after I gained weight, he has been more distant. I flipped out a couple of times out of jealousy and finally got depression medication. It helped me clear my mind that’s been blurred for so many years. I think I’m better off alone, I think I don’t have to see you anymore, thank you, counselor, for always being there for me through all these changes,

I just wish you where real.