It started at age 15...

Imagine a life where at a young age, with such a young and innocent soul, you go from innocent teenager to teen mom. Fifteen years old, She found herself a mother to a baby girl. How it came about? So lost and misguided, with no one that cared or ever paid attention to her. She felt as if it were the only thing she could do to feel she had a purpose. She remembers wanting to feel wanted and important to someone so badly. It was all a cry for attention, but nobody paid attention. Thrown out on the streets with a newborn baby, in the middle of winter. Fifteen years old. Thats how much they cared about her. Where does she go from there? Forced to be emancipated by the government so she could be legally classified as an adult, she was able to reside at local shelters. No family, no friends, still no one who cared. There were shelter staff and counselors that were nice, of course but that couldn't fill the void. Her mother was in a relationship with a man that gave her the ultimatum of choosing him or her daughter and granddaughter. Her mother chose him. Her father had been out of the picture so after that she was completely on her own. She was thankful to have her daughter, she knew that she had someone who loved her and needed her. That made her feel better, sometimes. Fast forward a little, now it's getting a little hard. No help, no babysitter so she can work or go to school... what now? She was lucky enough to find kind-hearted managers willing to look out for a young girl with lots of responsibilties, some of them would let her bring her daughter to work with her. She stays persistent, though and never did she give up. Today, time hasn't changed much. Today, now 25 and now with 4 beautiful kids she doesn't let the way she was treated as a child affect her relationships with her own kids. Instead, it has inspired her to be everything her own parents were not. To love her kids and be there every step of the way. She still has goals and dreams, she is often caught in a daze thinking what life would be like if she didn't have kids so young. She was always so bright, and had a lot to look forward to. She hopes to finish school online, but it's hard to make time for that with 4 people screaming "Mommy". She is a great mother and she loves her kids, but she feels guilty for having them before having her life together. Having them before HER own life really even started. Fifteen years old. Had she known then what she knows now, life would be completely different. These tramatic events in her life did build a strong, brave, loving and independent woman/mother. And she loves that about herself. She used pain and turned it into power.

No matter what the situation is, there is a brighter side. Don't be hard on yourself. Bad things happen, you gotta shake it off , pat yourself on the back and keep going.

She is her own support system and own encouragement team, aside from her kids. But just knowing that they believe in her so much and are so proud she is their mom and that is all she needs. She is okay with not having any actual friends or family as support , she just tells herself to remember self validation is better than any friend.

#teenmomawareness