Today, I am: a happily married mother of a daughter in high school.
I used to be: a drug addict, a runaway, a single teen mom, a welfare recipient, a bottom bitch.

For a long time after I got married, I thought that I had to hide my "hood" past because I should only own my "good" present. But it's true- ignoring the truth doesn't make it any less true. I started to embrace all parts of my life because each crack and bump and mistake and triumph and victory has made me who I am today.

I let all of me shine through. And as that light grew brighter, it highlighted all of my dark secrets. But all things, even ugly things, take on a radiance in the light.

(I thought this six-word memoir fit so perfectly that I recently had it TMed and now use it as the tagline on my blog.)