Joanne – Greenlane
“I like to help others and just be there for other people like in times of need.
I was born here in Greenlane. I was adopted by my mum and dad, and I haven’t seen my real parents. We’ve been through so much, so basically we haven’t kept contact with our parents and all I know is the only person that we have now is just our mum and dad.
Being adopted – for me it was like all our life, well we’ve been living a lie. I know our parents only wanted the best for us and so I don’t blame my parents for keeping it a secret. But no matter what at least we’re staying with a family that loves us and put a roof over our head and food on the table. We don’t regret like anything.
Well, for me as a person as a person and as a human being, when I look at people like kids living on the streets, like people with no homes, no nothing to eat, it makes me realise that I want to connect with them in so many ways. If there’s so many options when we can help them and give them what they need, and like be there, talk to them and also just lend them a helping hand. No matter what we go through in life, the struggles we’re going through we need to remember that we’ve been there as well. We need to help them, like get their life back on track and just connect them. There’s so many options that you can help them with.
I’ve been in a relationship with my ex-boyfriend who had been abusing me when we were together, but now that I’ve met my husband, like the love of my life, it makes me realise that there’s so many, like I can actually be myself. This is called a real relationship. Even with my family, that’s called real relationship, because people who’s always been there no matter what, like the struggles you’ve been going through, pushing them away, well those are the people that always stuck like, by you through thick and thin. That’s what I call real relationship, is relationship with your loved ones, not with people that use you that abuse you. That’s not a healthy relationship, but a real relationship is being with your loved ones. Being with my husband, that’s what really makes me happy.
Yeah, well my husband – we just got married not long ago. He’s done so much for me. He’s always been there for me. Every time when I’m struggling with money issues, he always goes and tries anything he can to find some money to help me. He always been there by my side. We never keep secrets and he always has been there for me through thick and thin. He’s been my main supporter, my number one. He’s been my number one from the beginning since we met.
For me, as a person, I just need to show myself that I can actually love myself before I love others, because I can’t show people how much I love them if I don’t appreciate myself. For me I need to learn to love myself before I love others, just like showing them that I can do it.
I will never give up – I can show them that I’m a strong person, and that’s just being myself. I don’t need to copy others. I don’t need to love others. I can actually love myself and just help myself. So yeah, so for me I just need to love myself. I don’t need people to love me for my monies or for whatever, but yeah just being myself is, will make me love myself even more as a person and as a human being.”