Wish Dish | Share Your Story

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Crumbs to Bricks Through Playing The Drums

FROM CRUMBS TO BRICKS will always be my motto – something I can call my own, to hold onto me; something from nothing.

I was raised with 13 brothers and sisters. At age five I was molested by friends and family. Child Protective Services yanked me from home and dumped me at a shelter. I’ll be safe here.

While residing at the shelter, again it happened, it was the older teens living at the shelter. At this point yeah I feel lost, lonely, and most of all confused about my situation.

Why so many people? Why always to me?

Yes, yes, yes. I’m free. Moving to a nice foster home. I’ll be safe. The same things kept happening there. I was afraid to tell anyone, mostly uncomfortable and embarrassed. Beginning to stay to myself, now blaming myself, scared.

Finally, I was out of the foster care system. My mom couldn’t get custody so I was placed with my aunt. Jesus, at 13 my brother drugged me and had sex with me. Will it ever end!

I met my dad when he came to visit one day when I was in foster care. After a year with my aunt I moved in with him – he’s the pastor of Mt. Vernon Baptist church in Houston.

This is the turning point in my life.

I fell in love with music. It seemed to be the only thing that would make me forget about any and everything and gave me peace. I started singing in the choir faithfully. But even though I love to sing and clap it was something about those drums. I’ve never taken any lessons before but always felt I had what it took.

I started playing after church all the time and the elders always would run me off the drums saying stop making all that noise! I guess they really didn’t understand my gift that was being born within me at that time.

One day the drummer didn’t show up at church, guess who was there? Me! I played a real simple beat that I had been practicing before, thank God it worked because I started playing for the youth choir after that!

From there my love for music grew. I started playing drums more and more. The more I play the happier my life seemed to be. Since then my life has been on a positive turn because of my motivation, my love for what I do which is my gift of music, and my determination to be something in life.

I’ve had a lot of doors open in my favor that I never would have had if I hadn’t started believing in myself and picking up my self esteem. I’ve come a long way but I didn’t do it by myself. With prayer and my drums nothing is impossible.

The reason I say crumbs to bricks is because at one time I believed that I was crumbs.

I was shattered into pieces. I felt I was nothing. But now my spirit is rejuvenated! Those pieces are now a strong beautiful woman and I’m stronger than I was before. I stay positive, driven, and motivated in everything I do and positive things always come back to me.

Along with my music I am aiming toward being a mortician and fire fighter. I also hope to one day meet new wonderful people and be an inspiration for young woman to be strong internally and follow their dreams.

I don’t want this to happen to anyone anymore. I want to be something more – like Cindy Blackman.

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Crumbs to Bricks Through Playing The Drums

Why so many people? Why always to me?

This is the turning point in my life.

The reason I say crumbs to bricks is because at one time I believed that I was crumbs.

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