Growing up in a household overshadowed by chaos and fear is a childhood few could endure and even fewer could emerge from unscathed. From an early age, this young girl experienced a world shaped by her father’s struggles with addiction and mental illness. But she rose above it all, and today she’s an acclaimed actress, has sold over 24 million records, and earned countless awards. Severely injured in violent argument Every child deserves a safe and stable home, a place where they know what awaits them after school and can trust their parents completely. Sadly, that’s far from reality for many kids around the world. The global superstar we’re focusing on today grew up facing the worst possible childhood — at the hands of her own father. She was born in 1992 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Her mother, Dianna, was a former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader, and her father, Patrick, worked as an engineer and musician. But Patrick struggled to keep a job for long, largely due to ongoing battles ...
After my wife died, holidays went quiet. This year, my family promised they'd all come back for dinner. I cooked all day, called everyone like my wife used to, and waited. By nightfall, no one came — except a police officer who wanted to arrest me! At 78 years old, I've been counting down the days to this holiday dinner like a kid waiting for Christmas. See, I had a plan to get my whole family together for the first time since my wife, Margaret, passed two years ago. "This holiday will be just like it used to be. You'll see. I'll bring them together." I gently pressed my fingertips against the framed photo of my wife on my bedside table. I had a plan to get my whole family together. I woke early that morning. I sat on the edge of the bed, feet on the cold floor, and said it out loud to nobody. "Big day." In the kitchen, I opened Margaret's recipe book. Years ago, she'd taped a list of holiday meals to the front cover, alongside the page num...