I was born in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1952 to two disabled parents, who were both born blind. I was my parents' second child. My eldest sibling was my two-year-old sister, Carolyn. I'm told I was a beautiful little girl with stunning blue eyes. Unfortunately, the strain and difficulty of caring for a second child proved overwhelming for my parents. Eventually, they surrendered me to foster care on my first birthday. My memories of the next five years were among the most loving and formable in my life. I was well-cared for and felt my foster family cared deeply for me. Following these five years, I was informed that my biological parents were getting me back. After being reunited with them, once again, I realized I would have to endure my circumstances for the next years of my life. We lived in North Carolina for a while and then in Philadelphia. Sadly, these years were not very pleasant for me. Throughout the years of being a child and then a teen, I developed a thick shell so I could survive. The day after my high school graduation, I boarded a bus bound for Baltimore with only one suitcase and $70 hidden deeply in my pocket. I wanted to be closer to my sister Carolyn. You might say I had a successful professional life. I worked in customer service for the telephone company and then in the insurance industry. As a young girl, I had nursed dreams of becoming a famous singer, but I would need to put aside those dreams when I found myself alone, raising two children as a single mother. They were my greatest blessings. I often tell others they were the first family I ever really had. I couldn't afford to do too much, but I wanted to give them something lasting-a piece of me to keep always. So, over the course of a few days, I penned a heartfelt metaphoric poem for my precious children, referring to them as the pearls born from an oyster. For me, the shell of an oyster represented my tough times, when my little pearls were created under pressure. I'd grown a tough exterior throughout my years, which I needed in order to survive. However, my children tell me that my oyster shell is a symbol of my ability to persevere through many hard times. And the pearl? They say it is my character--full of love, kindness, hope, and optimism! I'm very proud of the successful antique business that I owned and operated in Western Maryland. And after my children were raised, Carolyn and I shared the same desire to be closer to each other, so we reunited and enjoyed our time toge