I am Tessa DeWall, a senior at Storm Lake High School.
Mom
My parents were divorced for about ten years when my mom passed. They communicated well and our family dynamic was good. But like the saying goes, no one’s family is perfect. Despite the challenges, we still got along pretty well. I live with my dad now, but I used to live with my mom.
I would go visit my mom all the time. I visited her a week or two before she passed. Our last conversation was about Taco Bell. It was also one of the last talks we had in person. I texted my mom all the time. We talked on the phone, I would tell her everything. My mom and I fought like we were siblings, but at the same time she was my best friend. She always was.
My mom was very supportive of me becoming a defensive lawyer. One day, I had to write a paper about what I wanted to be when I grew up and she said she always thought I should be a laywer. Ever since then I’ve been thinking about being one. She always said, "You can do anything if you set your mind to it."
My steppmom is very supportive. She always tells me I can do anything if I work hard. We have a different dynamic than my mom and I did. She's more, "Work hard, work hard, work hard," while my Mom said, "You can do anything you want to."
My mom passed away from a heart attack my sophomore year before All-State auditions. She was still pretty young and I was only 16 years old. A lot of things changed. I didn’t have that anchor that had been there my whole life. But from her passing, I became stronger and smarter, and I started working hard. Since she’s not going to be there push me, I need to push myself. That’s what my mom was for me, she was my motivator. I still have my rough patches, but I think I have become a stronger and better person. I have to look up to that. I want to look up to what my mom and I always dreamed I could be.
Dad
Me and my dad are really close as well. I feel like I can tell him almost anything. I can talk to him if I have any issues. I always can ask any questions I have. He is also my motivator, but in a different way. He's different because he's the, "Get ready for your future", type, and I need that in my life too. He's also there for me because there are things that I thought my mom was going to be able to do that she won’t, like prom dress shopping. He went with me to do that.
My dad did kind of change after mom died. My parents had been divorced so long that they had been pretty good friends. It was hard for him when she passed away. He told me, "I don’t even know what to say because I haven’t had to go through that." He still has both of his parents. Since then, he’s been more supportive and more of someone to talk to.
My favorite memory with my dad? Growing up, I stayed with him on the weekends. We would go to the parks and play for hours and hours. One park had a giant ship. He would stand on the ground and listen to me tell stories about going to Pirate Island where we would go hunting for treasure. He would always be there to do that with me.
Stepmom & Family
The family dynamic with my dad and stepmom's family is overall pretty good. I'm not as close as I am with my real siblings, but I do know that my family is always going to be there for me. I have a step-sister who is closer to my age and so we are pretty good friends. We go out to movies and have movie nights. I have a big family – 7 sisters and 3 brothers. Biologically, I have 2 older sisters, an older brother, and two younger sisters who are twins. I'm pretty close with all of them, and visit them all the time. I get to see them whenever I want.
When it comes to my stepmom, I think we get along pretty well and I know that she’s going to be there for me when I need her. We go to the movies and go shopping together. That’s how we get along best. One memory I have with her is when my mom passed away. She was there for me, more than anyone else was. She was taking care of me when everyone was too busy. That will always mean a lot to me.
