In the spring of 2021, after years of toying with the idea, I decided to take the leap and begin work on a memoir I’m calling If I Get a Chance. The memoir chronicles my exploration into my relationships with both my mom and brother in an attempt to better understand their lives as well as my own. I delve into the complicated relationship between my mom and me, which was filled with both mutual love and severe mistreatment and abuse. When my mom died of drug-related causes when I was still a child, my brother and I had to face the realities of living the rest of our lives without a mother. As my brother and I entered adulthood, and he began exhibiting some of the same patterns as our mom, I had to confront the demons that have plagued my family for generations. Through interviews with my family and thorough research, I go back in time to learn more about the lives of both my mom and my brother in order to unpack their choices and life outcomes, developing a deeper sense of empathy and a closer relationship with them in the process. If I Get a Chance is a tale about redemption, survival amidst loss, and never taking for granted the chances we are given.