May 25, 2003, Ryuki was born two weeks before his due date, weighing 5 pounds 2 ounces. He was such a small baby with little appetite, which worried me as a mother. Ryuki was named by my mother (his grandmother) which encompasses the meaning of a dragon's strength. Since giving meaning to your child is crucial throughout the world, I wanted a meaningful name for my son. Most names represent the family's wish for him or her to be successful in the future or to be loved by someone. According to my family's aspiration, we wanted Ryuki to always have the strength to overcome any obstacle that might hinder him and to never give up. He was raised by me, a single mother, with the support of my family to this day. I had brought Ryuki when he was one year old to my family's home safe and sound after a police escort to where I lived with his biological father. In and out of family court for six years, her father lost custody and visitation rights due to "failure to show up" for court appearances and visitation. Ryuki only saw his father twice until he completely disappeared from our sight. As a single mother I did my best to do both roles as a parent. Unfortunately I am not a male and could not replace his father. However, I do not regret taking my son away from his father as he had a drug and alcohol addiction and was physically abusive towards me. Luckily my son has no memory of the incidents and luckily his father never put his hands on him. There were times when my heart was constantly pained as I saw him saddened to see that he did not have a father. See posters at school for “Father and Son Day” or Father's Day. However, as soon as he made friends with children who also did not have...... middle of paper......inhalers every time he has difficulty breathing but other than that he has no other health problems. I understand that sometimes he panics and blacks out, especially in timed tests. He previously lacked organizational skills, but is making many improvements. I have noticed that he works better when he is recognized or praised for a job well done. I think this builds self-confidence for him. Sometimes he cannot express or explain his feelings well in words; which makes him angry. When asked a simple question, he tends to remain silent because he is uncertain in answering the question because he fears that his decision may turn out to be wrong. I constantly tell him not to worry and just say what you want to say. For example, when asked what he wants to have for dinner, I know he loves burgers and tacos, so he will say that. However, he has gotten better at saying what's on his mind more recently.