Raising my Daughter Has Been a Blessing

Growing up, all I ever wanted to do was be a mom.  I would play school and often dreamed of being a teacher, but becoming a mom was the most important thing on my list.  As I grew older and my other friends were planning their careers, I was dreaming about being a mom.  I was so sure of that desire that when we filled out our, "Where I'll be in 10 years" form my senior year, I wrote," I will be happily married and a mom of 3 kids."  Sometimes life does not turn out the way you want!

Fast forward 14 years and many miscarriages later.  I finally became a mom to a beautiful daughter.  Even though my marriage was unraveling, I was determined to be the best mom I could be.  I shielded her from from the fights as much as possible and I stayed there, until it became dangerous for both of us.  

PEOPLE TOLD ME I NEEDED TO STAY
Instead, I took my daughter and all the debt and never received one bit of child support.  I knew I needed to be STRONG.  Strong for me and a STRONG MOM for my daughter.  Moving in with my parents was hard for me, but I needed somewhere safe to start over.  People told me it was a mistake, but I went with my gut instinct, and it was right.  My parents did not try to take over parenting, they remained supportive and were awesome grandparents.

A NEW MAN IN MY (OUR) LIFE
That was the last thing I was looking for.  I was concentrating on being a mom, and God placed my soul mate in my path.  Friends told me not to tell him I had a daughter, and not to introduce them if I did.  I consulted God and he reminded me that I was a STRONG woman and to follow my heart.  My daughter and I fell in love with new man, and shortly after my divorce finalized, the two of us became one, and the three of us became a family.  

SENDING MY DAUGHTER TO PUBLIC SCHOOL
My decision!  I was a product of the NC public schools, and although many advised me against sending my daughter there, it was the best decision ever.  She flourished in that environment and made lots of friends.  She has become an honor roll student and takes honors classes.  She has made me proud!  As my daughter, Kat, continues to grow, I pray that I have done all the right things and I pray that she will have a great life.   I know I did my BEST!

I always wanted to be the PERFECT mom, but no one is perfect.  The fact I was striving for it taught my daughter to try her best.  Although I am far from perfect, I have taught Kat to love, believe in God, be honest, never give up, and to forgive. Showing her that realizing you are not perfect is not a weakness, it is a sign of strength!

StrongMoms EMPOWER


The StrongMoms® Empower campaign, brought to you by Similac, is a call-to-action to create a more supportive and less judgmental environment, online and off.


Have you ever felt judged?  Belittled?  Accepted?  Empowered?
The time has come for Moms to start feeling good about themselves and the decisions they have made. We need to start supporting each other, instead of judging!  I went to strongmomsempower.com and took the Strong Moms Empowerment Pledge and I urge you to do the same.  We need to start being supportive of each other!  Will you go take the pledge?  Leave me a comment with your thoughts on this campaign.  I would love to know where you stand!

Disclosure: I am participating in a blog campaign with One2One Network. I have not received any payment. All opinions are my own.