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The greatest accomplishment that I have is the raising of my family. Rearing four siblings and a nephew at the age of 12 and to go on the raise their child and mine, in the area in which we lived, this was a giant accomplishment.

My mother died when I was 12 years-old, though I was not the oldest but I was the one she called into the room when she knew she was about to die. She told me where all the important papers was and made me promise to take care of her children and my dad. When the ambulance pulled up in front of our home I already knew that she was not coming back, and behind she would leave a 6 month old grandson, one 8 year old son, and four daughters, ages 16 months, 10, 12, and 18.

My dad was street man, meaning, he would work from sun up to sun down to make sure the bills got paid but when work was over it was whiskey and women. He might come home tonight or tomorrow night, whatever fit him (which when I got older I realize that was his way to hide the pain of losing mom), but if we children wanted to stay together and not be shipped to this aunt or other then I had to be in charge and keep everyone in order.

I left home at 16, taking my nephew with me, I married an abusive man at 19 and gave him two sons and left him at 20. Received temporary custody of my other sister twin girls at 22, while the ex- husband was still trying to stalk me. I took classes at the community collage and then had my third son at 27 and at 28 I was asked to take custody of my baby sister, who was then always running away and drinking. Social services thought she was too much for my dad, at 29 with my fourth child baking in the oven, here I am with seven children who have no one else to turn to, or as the state of Ohio put it, no one else with a firm enough hand. At 30 I went to a trade school and received a GED and my finish my trade in home building and maintenance and here come baby sister with a baby girl, oh well I got to do what I got to do, come on in!

Now, I am 47 years old with a college bound18 year old, honors student left to get through school. I always tell people that my sisters and brother are my children, my nephew and my children are my grandchildren, my nieces are my great-grand and my grandchildren are my great-great grand. But the accomplishment is that no one got on drugs, no one severed prison time or joined a gang, everyone has homes and productive lives. I use to be so ashamed of where we came from, but now I know that because of a promise, I made some 30 years ago, I have accomplished what so many families in today's world only dream about. We are plant managers, company supervisors, business operators, home owners, hotel mangers, students, parents, grandparent, friends and most of all, we are one, whole family.

Learn more about this author, Renee Morgan.
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