Latoya Giles
Bio
I'm just a single mom tryna make it. Come with me on my journey through life in writing... "A dream deferred is not a dream denied"
Stories (79/0)
Happy Father's Day Mommy!
It is 2023. The price of everything I can think of has risen exponentially. Joblessness rates are high. People are unable to afford to buy a house. Marriage rates are way down, divorce rates are way up. So many households are headed by a female. These issues are not race or culture specific. As a black woman, I would be remiss to not mention how absent fathers are made to seem more prevalent in the African American community. It, in fact, is not. That, though, is a different discussion for a different time. Stay tuned for that perhaps.
By Latoya Giles 11 months ago in Viva
Painted Prose
A picture, whether painted, or captured by a camera, speaks a thousand words; Volumes. Each line and instrument stroke adds more to the conversation. Every single word symmetrically coming together to bring a vision into clear view. I have seen many things through these 38 year old eyes. I have seen pictures that have made me feel warm inside, setting off a physical chain reaction of outwardly positive physical reactions: a smile for instance. A picture can also evoke fear and sadness, triggering a different set of physical effects: tears or a scowl maybe.
By Latoya Giles 11 months ago in Art
#SingleMomChronicles: Spendthrifty
As a single mother, I am always looking for ways to save money, a penny here or a nickel there. Especially with the way these prices is rising every second out here. Children always need things. They gotta eat, have shelter and have clothes to wear. You gotta pay travel expenses like car payment or Uber or maybe the bus. However you and your children travel, there is a price. After all the bills are paid, I still want to take my kids out to have some fun sometimes, you know, create memories`and stuff. Here are a few things I do to save money:
By Latoya Giles 12 months ago in Lifehack
#SingleMomChronicles: Regret, But Not Really
So many stipulations and unspoken rules are imposed on us single moms. Like there is a whole society dedicated to that or something. We are supposed to work full time, cook, have a clean house, be in shape, have our hair done and smile at like, all times. Come on, give me a break! That is crazy and super unrealistic. Just because there are some people in this world that call me "mom", doesn't mean I am not just a regular person. I hate feeling like I am being held to a different, often higher standard. Why? I really would LOVE to know. No one know though.
By Latoya Giles about a year ago in Confessions
Letter to the Editor
To the Powers that be, Greetings! I hope this letter finds you well. I am bursting at the seems from all the stories I have to tell. A "free" writing platform I found one day somehow. I've been on it a little while, over 2 years now. Short stories, poems, interviews too. The subjects available to write for are quite the array. Every few days or so, a challenge emerges. Oh how interesting they always are, teaching me literary terms I'd never heard before. I have entered challenges, one after the other. I check anxiously, only to see that first place is always another, never this single mother.It is disheartening, if I am being honest and clear. Please, continue to hear me out dear. I am a black single mom, but I am not a statistic. I am not pulling the race card either, in case you missed it. I haven't seen a winner like me though. At least not yet. Is it me? Specifically?? Does my writing suck so much that even after entering challenges for years, I still lose? How do you choose? What specifications, unlisted, do I have to meet? I will continue to compete. Be a graceful loser. Better luck next time and all that. A nice pat on my back: "Go get 'em tiger!"I will. I know life isn't fair but I wanna make sure the scale isn't tipped. Again I will try...*coin flipped*
By Latoya Giles about a year ago in Poets
Passing ships
At this very moment, I am a single mother of two girls. I love my daughters with every fiber of my being. That will never change. With that being said though, my life was supposed to be different. I was supposed to be married with a house and two kids: one boy and one girl. I was supposed to be a nurse practitioner.
By Latoya Giles about a year ago in Confessions
#SingleMomChronicles:Hey Daddy
Being a single mother means that I am raising my daughters predominately on my own. Each daughter has her own father. I met my oldest daughters father when I was a kid. I was 6 years old and he was the 7 year old neighborhood bad boy. I met him because he stole my little brothers bike. I was gonna get it back. I was prepared to fight if necessary. Our parents (back then and still to this very day) live n the same block. Our relationship lasted 5 years. Our daughter was born when I was 20 (i turned 21 a little over a month later), and he was 22. I knew I had to grow up fast in order to care for this child. I bought a car in January, gave birth in February and signed the lease to my apartment in April. My daughters father wasn't ready to leave the streets. By that, I mean he still wanted to hang out with the homies. While I do not promote terminating pregnancy, I wanted to explore all my options. This was in 2005. I gave her dad a choice. I said to him: "are you sure you want to keep this baby? I don't want to be a single mother." Here we are 17 years later...
By Latoya Giles about a year ago in Viva
#SingleMomChronicles: Stats
I am a black woman. I have never been married. I have a different father for each of my two children. They are both largely absent, financially and physically. Each of those things alone place me in a certain category of society. Put them all together and I am the epitome of a stereotypical "black mom". Stereotypes are not race or gender specific unfortunately. I am so very tired of the single mom narrative. Y'all know what I'm talking about. Popular opinion suggests that single moms are lazy and just leach off the government. All the blame is always placed on us.Perhaps, had we chosen better men, we wouldn't be single moms. If we can't make ends meet, we need to work more hours or get a higher paying job. Heck, some people have the nerve to say work TWO jobs, instead of depending on the government. I have even heard folks have the audacity to tell a mom that if she couldn't afford children, she shouldn't have had them. Are you freaking kidding me? I cannot speak for anyone but myself, but life happens. It is quite as simple as that. One day I have a good job and life is good, then all of a sudden the whole world is thrust into a pandemic and my mother is in the hospital fighting for her life. She gets better (thank goodness) only for my children to get Covid. Naturally, as their sole caregiver, I got sick too after a while. I lost my job.
By Latoya Giles about a year ago in Viva
Dear Daughter
Dearest daughter, To my oldest daughter...you are number one of my two. How much I truly do love you. I hope you knew, or know to this day. This letter is long overdue, there is so much to say. You are 17 now my dear. You grew up so fast. The time has just flown past. For so long, it was just me and you. Being a mother was, and still is my life. I tried my best to protect you. I never spoke poorly of your dad. Even when he stood you up and made you sad. As you grew, you saw him, his family and the situation for what it is. You have always been a clever kid. You are so smart. So beautiful and extremely talented. Your artwork is outta world! I am so proud of you baby girl. I know you have insecurities and abandonment issues too. It's ok, you are great and excel at everything you do. You are the blueprint. You taught we how to be a mom. We pretty much grew up together. I regret NOTHING! We are birds of a feather.
By Latoya Giles about a year ago in Poets