Growing up with a parent who suffers from a mental illness can be both challenging and confusing, and this is my story of experiencing the various adventures of living a daily life with a mother whose mental health provided a consistent source of both humor and heartache. Along the way, you'll also understand how my being the victim of a traumatic childhood event affected me, leading to a life that has been filled with trials and tribulations as well as a lifelong struggle to overcome the dynamics of a dysfunctional family. From page to page, you'll see into relationships of all types and how they relate to a blemished past. For me, guidance along the way was slim as I worked to surmount the difficulties I encountered in life, but my story is one of gaining the courage and the strength to find my voice, even as I learned to speak out against present and future injustices. Life's lessons are harsh, and the road map is not clearly outlined. Yet you'll see how I found my way forward, and you'll ideally find some guidance and understanding related to your own world as you read of how I fought against the darkness which sought to envelop me and how I struggled to overcome the challenge of being the daughter of someone with a mental illness. Travel with me on my journey through life as it is filled with tears and laughter. I am Kay, and this is my story.