Cheryl Serafin:  

Okay folks shortly after high school i started drinking a lot. shortly after I became a full blown alcoholic. I had my first child Chris Cortez yes the son of Nena Cortez we got married two years later and five yrs after we had our second son David Cortez yes named him after Nenas Brother David . David big Died right before new years and David was born that Feb. Nena I and the boys Moved to Atlanta Ga. where he went to work with his Brother Bebee Cortez. We stayed married for 10 yrs During that ten yrs my alcoholism continued and became a drug user. After our divorce I hooked up with loser for the next nine yrs of my life. During that Period I had given my sons to their father i new he would do a better job at raising them as my life was so unstable. I hated myself for giving up my children but I thought it would be in their best interest. During my nine yrs with the loser I met a friend who became my best friend and was the only connection I had left to reality. Slowly i drifted back to me. We were best friends for 6 yrs he watched me suffer through this terrible time in my life. We worked together at the different resturants in Atlanta owned by the same family. During the course of our friendship I traveled with the loser form city to city in Ga. Opening these resturants training the help. I finally ended up at a new one in Calhoun where my best friend also was working as the head cook. An old Friend and came to Calhoun and offered me the Genaral mgrs position at the new one opening in Chattanooga Tn. at 800.00$ a week cash. I took it and took all the kitchen staff with me to open the new City Cafe in Chattanooga. This is where my best friend watched me fall to my lowest point where my loser left me for a man.I have been in Chattanooga now almost seven yrs Three yrs ago in April I married My best friend that was the happiest time I can ever remember outside of the birth of my sons. I also beat the Alcohol 3 yrs ago. I guess being happy was All I needed to do this. Although it wasn't my mind that did it but my body rejected the smell the taste, and definitely the hangover. He made i possible for me to have my life back with my boys. It was hard on me because the loser I had in my life took everything from me from my money to see my boys to me self worth. I use to cry because I felt like A loser mother for giving them I . This was something I told myself I would never be. My boys assured me that what I did was the best thing I could have done for them and they loved me no matter what. I have been working for the same company for over 12 yrs. My Boys are grown now Chris will be 25 and David will be 18 Graduating high school this yr. And going away to college. They have been my life support through all of this. If not for them I probably would be dead for every breath I took, I took for them with every struggle in my like I walked that extra step for them. It s not so easy to give up when you have the unconditional love of your two beautiful sons or that is what would have happened. They turned out to be the most remarkable boys any mother could have asked for though I have to admit that was most of their fathers doing. The boys averaged AB grades throughout High School my oldest received the Hope scholarship and looks like my youngest is receiving a full scholarship from soccer he made all state. My life now is better then it has ever been I still no longer drink and look and feel twenty yrs younger without the alcohol. I am happy in my life just disapointed that I lost 9 yrs with my sons due to a loser these are yrs I will never get back. So I am trying to make the best of the yrs we have now. I am seriously thinking of taking physcology classes on line to get a bachelors degree so that I may be a counselor for teenagers who need someone to talk to. I have been there and done that. There isn't a drug I did not use other than heroin. I had been raped. and also molested when I was a child which I had blocked out until I remembered at the age of 37. My home life sucked. I had no-one to turn to. I have always wanted to pursue this career because I knew I could make a difference. But I did not due to the drugs and alcohol. Now at the age of soon to be 45 I think I'm goin...Expand for more