I grew up in Southern California which is where I met my husband. We were in a group of high school friends that all married each other. My husband and I started our family in Southern California. He went to school to become a paramedic while I was working at a pet hospital. When my husband finished school, he found work in Northern CA. So, we moved up to the Bay Area. I went back to school to get my AS degree in Early Childhood. I then started working as a pre-school teacher and it wasn’t long before I was training teachers. I worked as a pre-school teacher for 20 years. I received certificates in conflict resolution and restorative justice. I enjoyed working with the families and teaching them tools to help them solve conflicts. I loved working with the children that other teachers found difficult to work with.
My husband and I have five children and I thought we were doing very well until my husband’s secret came out. This devastated me. I thought I was alone. But then my family supported me and they supported him. My husband and I separated but we worked on our issues. We both did our work and several years later, we were able to reunify. With the help of therapy, I worked on my self esteem and I decided to go back to school and get my BA in psychology.
I wanted to understand more why people do what they do. So, I continued on with my education and got my Masters in psychology. I am now working as an associate in marriage and family therapy. I am at the point where I need to pass the licensing test. There is so much I still want to know. For me this is an ongoing learning experience that I will continue to explore for the rest of my life.
As for my kids, they are now grown and I am proud of who they have become. We as a family have been through this journey together which has made us a strong family. Two of my children have kids of their own. My grandchildren are growing up to be great kids, too. Both my husband and I have a great relationship with our grandchildren with boundaries in place that keep it safe for everyone.
