This book was written to show my appreciation and gratitude for what my mother taught me as a child. I never knew my father but I was raised by a loving mother, in a loving home. It has been said that history has taught us that kids born in single- parent households are more likely to end up as failures. I'm writing this to dispel the lies about "nothing good can come from the hood." Anyone growing up in America can become whatever he or she desires if given the opportunity, proper nurturing, and an education. If we are to become that person that God has destined for us to be, it is up to us...