situation based on their situation instead of lumping people into a “single parent” situation. My advice to any family would be to work what you have. Don’t try to do what someone else is doing because it might backfire on you. Work what works for you and your family. I tried things that I saw other people do with their family that simply did not work for my kids. I prayed and asked God to please show me what to do for my kids. That is when many ideas presented themselves to me. I took them to sleep away camps. That helped them to meet children and to develop their social skills. Going away to college can be very traumatic. They don’t know anyone and they’re away from their community, church, and family. Depression can come upon them, they can begin to withdraw and many students drop out. You can take your child to their dream but it’s important to make sure they can thrive, not just survive, while they are there.
Q: What has been the most difficult challenges you had to face as a parent of beautiful girls and a handsome son and a wife who seeks to find herself to be successful?
A: The most difficult challenge of supporting my kids without losing my dreams was knowing who to focus on. I had to halt my dreams to support my kids without regret. I had to learn how not to live vicariously through their lives but to support them with their dream. I was able to manage their life, maintain their age-appropriate activities and manage my books and cd’s to be released at the proper time. That wasn’t easy but we make sacrifices for our babies and I was happy to do that for my babies and they helped me with my dreams. They were a part of my plays and helped me sell my books and cheered for me as well. My family was my biggest supporters when I went to school. Every educational discipline and school app that I found for them to use they texted back to me. They would ask me how I did on my test and cheer for me and tell me how smart I am. They are so happy for my graduation next year and I am as well.
Q: If you can go back in time and change going to college early would you? Why?
A: Absolutely. Life afterward would have been so much easier. I had to take a remedial job that didn’t support my bills because I didn’t have the degree that others had. I trained my managers because they had a degree and I didn’t. I barely made the ends meet and all of that would have been eliminated if I had gone to college. I still speak today about that subject to encourage people to go to college and life a life without limits.
Q: Your story and photo alone has reached over 1,000 viewers of likes and love how does that make you feel? Did you ever think people would grasp onto your story or photo as they are? What do your girls think of that?
A: Yes I did think that. I am one of many people who didn’t go when they could have and have pushed their children to go and finally did obtain their dream. However, they are more that are stuck where we were stuck. It’s important that we reach our hand back to help those move forward and not stay stuck as long as we did. Sometimes we allow finances to hold us back. A: There are grants that we can obtain. Knowledge is power and we must stop thinking we can not do something but find a way to make it happen.
Q: Your little brief story has touched many hearts and inspired many women. Is that one of your objective in life to raise the awareness to mothers who lack the confidence to do or be or those who stop to keep the needs of the family first?’
A: Yes I want to help mom’s support their children as they also are supported in their dreams. That is the true message. We, as women, are master nurturers and encouragers. Who encourages the encourager. This is the part that is hard. Stop and make sure you’re not lost in the mix.
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