Thalía montalvo

At the young age of 11, I had to make a very tough decision to leave my home with my mom and move in with my dad. Before I made this decision there was a great lack of stability in my home. I would watch TV shows where the family was intact -- a mom, a dad, and siblings in a peaceful home. That's what I craved. I remember watching shows like Lizzie McGuire and That's so Raven and thinking "wow, she has such a great life". Not because of what she had but because of her family dynamic. There was no violence between her parents. They were supportive and most of all loving.

Don't get me wrong, I knew I was loved. But one moment being loved and the next violence erupts, I was always preparing for the other shoe to drop. It was like trying to find comfort in a war zone. Sure things feel normal for a moment but you're secretly waiting for the sounds of explosion. Growing up in a home where violent fights would occur at any moment you learned to be prepared, as if I was preparing for a battle that wasn't mine