cheer up sunshine

A couple of months ago I was feeling pretty down on myself. Wasn’t feeling like I was doing all that I could to be the best me, the best mom, the best woman I could be. I felt alone, felt like no one understood me…I didn’t even understand myself. So I reached out to my friends. And I asked them if there is one piece of advice you could give me what would it be? The responses I got are below:

-Live, Laugh, Learn 

-Be brave enough to be true to yourself and love yourself more than you ever thought possible.

-Live, love, laugh, and don’t let anyone kill your happiness!

-Learn to relax

-Stay strong, remember each choice you make holds not only your future walk in life but also respects your daughter life choices. Children learn by following.

-Wake up every morning appreciating something because we aren’t guaranteed a tomorrow

-Don’t give a F what other people think of you

-Love Solana and give her everything you wish you had and wanted

-Stay focused, the light is at the end of the tunnel

-Stop procrastinating and do your homework

-Always keep your glow

-Live, love, and laugh to the fullest, letting no one and nothing keep you down

I was overwhelmed by the responses I received from my friends and family and I was so glad they took the time to respond. I was so down on myself and feeling so negative that I wasn’t able to see all the goodness in and around me. As a young single mom, I feel like I’m racing to catch up most of the time. Like I’m so much further behind other 24 year olds. I have a child, I mean, I’m not dead! My daughter is happy and healthy and a ray of sunlight in my life and in the life of those we love.

I adore her and she looks up to me. Just the other day she told me when she was older she wanted to cut her hair off when she gets older so she could be 'pretty just like mommy'. And me, well I’m fighting the fight because that’s all I know how to do. I'm taking damn good care of my daughter, working, and putting myself through school. And you know what, I'm damn proud of myself.