On December 24, 2006, it was my parents' 23rd wedding anniversary, unfortunately, instead of celebrating it, they separated that morning. I see my mother trying to kill herself by swallowing sleeping pills while my father hands her a liter of Sprite. I had celebrated a wedding anniversary the day before for my parents, but ended up burning the card I had spent hours working on the night before. I remember running outside after burning the card, screaming and wishing the ordeal was just a dream. I couldn't believe what I had witnessed. I was only 13 years old. My parents gave me different types of character traits such as bad temper, good work ethic, and being a great host helped me become the woman I am now. Growing up, my family lived a “double life.” To the outside world, I had the most loving and respected family that the whole town knew and loved, but with closed doors it was hell. My father physically and verbally abused me, my siblings and my mother for a very long time. My father beat me with a telephone cord until drops of blood fell from me for little things I did wrong, like getting dirty outside or playing with little boys. My mother sometimes joined my father when it was time to hit my siblings and me. I knew that the force of the beatings my parents gave me was a stress reliever more than teaching me to respect them. My mother hardly disagrees with my father because the time she would is when my father would beat and rape her in their bedroom. I thought it was no big deal, my mother would come out with a bruise on her face after they left their room because my mother would tell me "We really like playing together, don't worry child". My grandparents who lived with my family would... middle of paper ......nt or pitch to have more things at a party. I once asked my mother why she and my father were very strict with me every time we went to parties, my mother replied, "So that people can respect our family and never question this." that we actually do behind closed doors.” Now that I'm older, it makes sense to me to know what my parents' message was every time we went to a party. I have never seen a counselor to help me deal with my family issues or suicide attempts, self-therapy has helped me understand things I can't change from my past, especially my upbringing . Coping skills worksheets and having a good support group in my life helped me control my mood and try to look at the positive in my past. The positive traits that my family gave me are the ones that I hold on to closely, because these traits have helped me become an independent, compassionate and ambitious woman..