When I was 11 my dad died suddenly. An only child, my mom raised me the best she could and worked full time, but times were tough. Fortunately my dad’s sister, my Aunt Pam, lived in town and she was very helpful to me and my mom. I spent quite a bit of time with her in my teen years, and many days after school I would go there instead of home, and would often stay the night when my Mom worked late (she had a second job as a waitress).
As I turned 13 I was