Once in a lifetime the opportunity to inspire others and change lives interrupts our mundane routines. Then our lives, which we had previously considered unremarkable, suddenly take on a new and unique quality. We see the lessons embedded within painful experiences, the power of personal strength, and our ability to persevere through the darkest of times.I Thank My Past is the story of Ingrid Charlery's life. It is a journey into the past of a powerful woman who triumphs over abandonment, poverty, and insurmountable emotional pain, to reclaim her life. This story examines the complex dynamics of strained mother-daughter relationships, family, and love. It illuminates the power we hold to choose our own families. For where our biological family has failed us, our surrogate family can help us heal and feel whole once more.I Thank My Past can be read on its own or as part two of a series, written by the author in a bid to review her own life experiences. It asks: How can we move on when love turns sour?The first book, The Strength of a Woman, is a testament to the unfailing nature of how, when life kicks us when we are down, we can find the strength to get back up. The author digs deep within herself to find the strength to claw her way out of homelessness, heartbreak, and the ugly snare of depression. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, she reinvents her life from the devastating rubble of emotional trauma, shame, and abuse, to become an unrelenting force of nature.Today, Ingrid Charlery is an author, public speaker, and counselor for the desperate, depressed, and suicidal.