IT IS MY GREAT PLEASURE TO BE SPEAKING WITH YOU. MY NAME IS TRACY. I AM 35 YRS. OLD. I AM A VERY SINGLE MOTHER OF THREE. GRANDMOTHER ALSO. I HAVE TWO SONS, 20YRS. AND 18YRS. ONE DAUGHTER 17YRS. GRANDSON 1YR. MY OLDEST CHILD'S SON. ITS HAS BEEN A VERY HARD LIFE TO LEAD. I BECAME A MOTHER BEFORE I KNEW IT. SCARED, LONELY, NEGLECTED, ABANDONED...... THROUGH IT ALL, I KNEW NO MATTER WHAT, I HAD TO TAKE CARE OF THE KIDS. THOSE LITTLE EYES STARRING AT ME THROUGH THE LONG DAYS AND NIGHTS OF UNCERTAINTY. LOTS OF PRAYING AND HOPING. STILL I FELT LIKE I WAS DELT A BAND HAND. A DECK WITH NO RULES OR INSTRUCTIONS. ALTHOUGH I WAS ABUSED IN SEVERAL WAYS , NEGLECTED BY MANY. I STOPPED GOIN TO SCHOOL WHEN I WAS ONLY 14YRS OLD. ALOT MORE TO THE STORY...... SOMEHOW I MANAGED TO MY GED AND WENT ON TO STUDY COSMETOLOGY. I HAVE DONE QUITE WELL. I WANT TO EXPRESS MY THANKS TO YOU FOR YOUR BOOKS AND POEMS. THEY TRULY INSPIRED ME. I KNOW ABOUT YOUR STUGGLES BECOMING A MOTHER SO YOUNG AS WELL. I SAID TO MY SELF IF DR. MAYA ANGELOU CAN MAKE IT , SO CAN I.