Hi, my name is Cristiene. I'm 18 years old and a high school student. I'm going to start by sharing a little of my story.
From a young age, I lived mostly with my aunts rather than with my own parents. My mother passed away when I was still very young, so I have no memories of her. All I have is a single photo stored in my mind, like a living memory — even though I know I never really saw her in that moment.
There are three of us siblings: me, Luzenilson, and Riquelme.
In 2016, my father passed away too. By then, he wasn't very present in our lives. He didn't show much interest in our schooling, and our routine was unstable — we moved from house to house, sometimes living with a stepmother, sometimes with aunts, sometimes with our grandmother.
He drank too much, and I believe today that was one of the things that pushed him even further away from our family. One day, I went so far as to ask him if he loved me. He said yes. But when I asked whether he loved me or my brother more, he said he loved us both equally — yet deep down, I felt a different truth.
I watched my father die in my arms. That destroyed something inside me.
Today, I still live with my aunt. It isn't easy, but I keep learning to carry what I can't change, one day at a time.
In spite of everything, I have someone very special in my life: my boyfriend, Eryck. He is my support, my peace, my best friend. I love him, and together we have dreams and a future we want to build.
I also love roses, sunsets, the simple things in nature, living good moments — and above all, I love God. If it weren't for Him, I wouldn't have made it this far.
This is just one part of my story. If you'd like, I can keep going in the next chapters.