I was 13 In the year 1988; music filled the airwaves with powerful emotion. Two songs in particular stood out— From a Distance  by Bette Midler  and Emotions  by Mariah Carey . While Emotions  captured intensity and passion, From a Distance  felt like it was quietly describing my life. That year, I wasn’t just listening to the song—I was living it. I was in seventh grade, living at home with my mother, my sister, and my mom’s second husband, who had adopted my sister and me w