“No matter how many times I’ve been broken, I’ve glued those pieces back together, each time making my foundation stronger.” As a child, Kristin couldn’t remember a time when she hadn’t felt on her own. With a father who was abusive in all the ways he could be, and a mother who was barely present long before her parents divorced, one of her first lessons was that she had to protect herself, and anything she cared about. But despite how young and small she was, she was determined to do just that. It was this determination that carried her through the storms of her childhood, including testifying at her father’s trial, surviving the foster care system, and becoming a mother while still in high school. And that same determination that led her to keep searching as an adult, looking for a better life, a happier life, a more whole life. The details of Kristin’s story are harrowing, but the arc of her journey is hopeful. She was born into abuse and neglect but she found the strength to survive until she could start to thrive. She tells her story not to shock, but to show what can be overcome – she herself is the living proof.