“She was always on edge. I remember one time my brother and I...

“She was always on edge. I remember one time my brother and I got in a fight, and my mom wanted him to apologize and give me a hug, so she was shaking him violently, screaming: ‘Give her a hug! Give her a hug! Give her a hug!’ When he wouldn’t do it, she threw him on the floor. Then one time when I was five years old, she wanted me to brush my hair because the social worker was going to see me that day. But I didn’t want to brush my hair. So she grabbed the brush, and brushed my hair so hard that I’ve never used a brush since.”
“Do you ever feel like your mom?”
“I do. I’m always having to pray about that. I take medicine for anxiety. My adoptive mother always reminds me that we’re two different people, and there’s nothing that says I have to end up like my mom. So I just have to keep praying. Whenever I feel like I’m getting really mad, I just try to cry instead of yell.”