Introducing "The New and Improved, Robin Thomas"

DAH DAH! I say new and improved because if you would have met me 17 years ago, I was a insecure bumbling mess.

I met my ex when I was only 17 years old. He was a 6ft 6in Mick Jaggar lookalike and he had me at hello. Literally. When I would go out with my
girlfriends he would see me and pour on the charm. I was living on my own and came from a very dysfunctional family. A perfect target! he was smooth. He would show up at the oddest times, unexpected and visit me. Claiming we were just friends. I was hoping to be more and he knew it, so one night "it happened" and the friends part was over, only I didn't know he was married with baby number 2 on the way. A concerned "Best friend of his wife's" let me in the little secret with a few unexpected slaps.

I was stricken to say the least. I thought I was in love! I quickly sold everything I owned and moved immediatly to Niagra Falls to start over. I
worked and paid room and board to my father and never got over him. In fact I had a poster of him over my bed!

I came home from work one day to see him standing outside my house. One thing led to another and he begged me to come and live with him in Sault Ste Marie again. He and his wife had separated and he was getting divorced. I was so confused, but you bet I went. He was 26 at the time. Life with him
was one big confusing rollercoaster ride, exhaultaion, the belly dips, the rough corners. He cheated on me with his wife off and on and I think I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Then came the kids. His wife was declared a schizophrenic and couldn't care for her kids. So then I became instant mommy for 2 little girls. 9 months and 3 years old. Wow! what was I doing? Well as you can probably guess, I became the live in Nanny/sex partner, while he partied till all hours of the night. Then came the cocaine, the physical and emotional abuse, the women etc...I decided I was going to college to take a nursing course so I could become independant. He got fired from his job for drinking. He decided he better take the nursing course so we wouldn't be down and out...stupid me fell for it and on my birthday I got pregnant. A missed pill. I couldn't believe it.

Through my pregnancy, he partied and never came home. I finally had it. Once I delivered my daughter I called my girlfriend and asked her to
come and get me. I left him and through my girlfriends support I started over. It was tough being a single mother. My girlfriend Della rented me her apartment upstairs in her house and helped me by giving me support and encouragement. I learned to love myself and became happy with the little things in life.

A year later I met Craig and on our second date I knew that I would marry this man. I did. We worked hard, bought a house, I went to school to
become a hearing dispenser, and now 2 boys and several Hearing Aid companies later, I made it. Never give up on yourself is what I learned from my experience with he. Always trust your instincts and go with them. Allow yourself to take help when you need it and be true to others.
Remember to laugh again, to love again. That is our life purpose. What you put out there in the universe will come back to you.

-- Robin Thomas