Rejected by the Ones You Love

By Suely Ramirez

Unloved and unwanted by her drug-addicted parents, Suely Ramirez Diaz went from foster home to foster home, enduring emotional, physical, and sexual abuse at the hands of those purportedly trying to help. She entertained thoughts of suicide at the ages of 8 and 11, and had little hope for a brighter future. Yet instead of falling prey to the dark side, Ramirez-Diaz embraced the grace and love of her beloved Lord Jesus Christand turned her life around.

Rejected by the Ones You Love is a deeply personal and emotional journey of a woman whose steadfast faith enabled her to forgive the past and change her life. With amazing courage and strength, Ramirez-Diaz successfully freed herself from the chains of the past and turned all her attention to serving the Lord. Despite broken relationships, homelessness, poverty, and rejection by friends and family, Ramirez-Diaz rose from the ashes and set her course on a different path. She earned degrees in business management and adult education and even opened her own business. Bringing a message of hope to those who need it most, Ramirez-Diaz reveals how the Lord can heal your heart and bring about an amazing transformation to your broken life. Find strength and encouragement for the future with this powerful memoir, and bask in the love of the Lord!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jan 31, 2015
• ISBN: 9781469198880

Suely Ramirez

Suely Ramirez-Diaz was born in New York City. She earned an AAS in offi ce technology, a bachelor’s degree in business management, and is working on a master’s degree in adult education and training. Ramirez-Diaz lives with her husband, Tony, and her two daughters, Kelsey and Denyse, in Peekskill, New York.

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Copyright © 2015 by Suely Ramirez.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2012906668

ISBN:  Hardcover      978-1-4691-9887-3

            Softcover       978-1-4691-9886-6

            eBook            978-1-4691-9888-0

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Rev. date: 02/19/2015

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Contents

Acknowledgments

Preface

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Acknowledgments

This book could not have come to fruition without guidance from my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the contributions from many wonderful people. Like me, they wanted to change the lives of others who experienced rejection when they were young. I also would like to dedicate this book to my parents Olga and Luis. Special appreciation goes to Yvianne Hyacinthe, who is a sister, friend, and close confidant, for helping me put this book together, constantly pushing me, and having faith that it would happen as long as I kept God in mind.

Special thanks go to my spiritual mothers, Elva Spellman, Marie Castor, Mary Carrattini, for believing in me. Thanks to my daughters Kelsey, and Denyse for putting up with the long nights it took to write this book, making seemingly never-ending sacrifices, and giving me the support to facilitate my writing efforts.

Finally, words can never fully express my gratitude to the members of my dream team, the editorial staff at iUniverse, Xlibris for their encouragement, creativity, diligence, and commitment to producing quality work.

Preface

I wrote this book with the leading of the Holy Spirit directed by the Lord to make a difference in the lives of others who have been rejected by family, friends, teachers, etc., to show them that no matter who has rejected them and no matter the reason, they should hold their heads high, move forward in life and put God first.

I was not loved by my parents. I didn’t receive the love that a child growing up should receive. I was forced to care for my siblings when my parents were getting high on drugs, when they should have been taking care of us. I was sent from one foster home to the next only to find that I was abused emotionally and sexually in the process. Yet I was able to overcome the obstacles in my life that might have hindered me from moving forward to become the person I am today and having God in my life. As a child I always believed in God and knew that he was always with me despite my circumstances. The Lord protected me from many situations, such as dealing with the emotional abuse from my mother and family members telling me I would never amount to anything in life, because of my learning disability. I faced molestation and rape from one foster home to the next. The day to day hunger my siblings and I faced as we were left home alone with nothing to eat to fend for ourselves. The many cold nights we endured as we were kept locked out in the streets hungry waiting for mom to come home. The emotional struggle, I endured as I contemplated suicide at the ages of 8 and 11 years old that led from situations of emotional and sexual abuse. For many years I prayed and asked my Lord to help protect me and my siblings from the day to day battles of loneliness, hunger, and emotional despair we encountered daily. I thought there was no hope for me in life until God began to answer my prayers.

If I did not have faith in my Lord Jesus Christ, my life would not have been spared from the emotional and sexual abuse or even possible death I faced in my childhood for many years. I would not have been given this chance to write this book and help those who seek the comfort and love that I lacked during my childhood.

Even though at times I wish I could forget the things that happened to me, I realize that those experiences were part of my life. They are who I am. The horrific experiences as a child are ones I could never forget. As a child I observed many horrific things as far as I can remember. The memories of my mother, weren’t wonderful ones and the reminders of her having sex with several men committing prostitution so that she would have enough money to satisfy her addiction. The reminder of hearing her screams and cries wanting to commit suicide for a life she hated and the regrets of having children she never wanted, was hurtful. The sleepless and late nights I stayed up as I walked into the kitchen to get a drink of water only to see my mother shooting up heroine with many of her so called friends. The reminder of her friends playing practical jokes on me making statements that my mother was dead and that she was murdered and having them laugh at me. The day to day reminder, of homelessness we endured of losing one apartment after the next due to eviction because she didn’t pay the rent. The constant reminders of verbal abuse from my family members reminding me that I would never succeed in life only because I was learning disabled.

This was my destiny I had to face. I wrestled for awhile thinking about how I could inspire others who faced the same dilemma I did and still give this book an inspirational twist. My wrestling came to a halt when I spoke with my friend and sister in the lord Yvianne Hyacinthe and explained to her what it was I wanted to do. Never did she discourage me from writing this book.

Certainly anyone claiming to be God’s child has to be motivated to maintain the highest standards in life. God mandates certain protocols for treating others in the way we would like to be treated. Since we are a melting pot—people from various cultures that have different ways of doing things—it is important that people understand and respect each other. Needless to say, however, kindness, and consideration are not the daily norm. I would love to spark a movement that encourages others to move past rejection and move forward with life.

Therefore, I have established two goals for this book. First, I want to remind my readers to do things the right way so that you can gain the confidence to succeed in the world. Second, I want to challenge all of you to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and if you do this you can accomplish your dreams and goals only when you serve God. Doing things the right way will enhance your career and bring you into contact with influential people, but these things are secondary benefits. God has established a code of behavior that he wants to be the standard in his kingdom. God always wants us to do the right thing even when others mistreat us. The most important thing of all is to forgive those who have hurt you; then your past burdens will not hinder you from moving forward in life. No matter how many times you are rejected by others, remember that God never rejects his children.

I always felt that I had been rejected at birth and that my life was in vain. I felt rejected by my parents, particularly by my mother, my biological family, and several foster parents. I always wondered how a child could deserve a life such as this. That was my daily prayer and question to God: What did I do to deserve this? Why did my parents and my family reject me?

From the time I was six years old, I cried constantly because of my pain caused by my dreadful life of having no family. In my prayers, I asked God to allow me to die and take me into his kingdom or to place me with a loving family because of the suffering I endured. There were many nights I remember hearing the laughter of my mother’s boyfriends or male prostitute acquaintances that were also getting high and how happy they were for the way the drug and sex my mother provided them with made them feel All I did was sat in my room pretending that I had an imaginary family. Blocking my mother out completely and everyone who she decided to bring home, I began to enjoy my imaginary family, which inspired many wonderful thoughts that things would happen for the better in my life. What child wouldn’t try to imagine what life would be like if only she had loving parents? But then my mother began knocking on the door to my room bought me back to reality and ended that wonderful daydream about a loving family. Sometimes, I prayed that my birth parents, especially my mother, would die.

Then one day I realized that my life was important because God had plans for me. I was meant to write my biography so many would know that all my pain and suffering and every rejection I faced and endured only made me stronger and that I was valued as a person. My life was once a battlefield but despite each and every memory of each and every rejection, despite each and every tear I’ve shed, I’m still alive, praise God, and can share with everyone that I was able to get through it all because of my love and belief in my Lord Jesus Christ. My life was not in vain; my life signifies the strength and determination of being a strong, young Hispanic woman who was rejected by her loved ones but was able to conquer my difficulties.

Because of my rejected life, I’m stronger than ever before, and whoever reads this book will know and feel it. For every tear you shed and every breath you take, know that the Lord Jesus Christ, who strengthens you, your father in heaven, is there, as he was there for me. I share this with all of you, my friends: through Christ, who gives us strength, you will never be rejected by God.

Chapter 1

This is where my life began. My name is Suely the oldest of three children. I was born to