You Are The Creator Of Your Happiness

As kids you see your Mom as a Superhero. They can accomplish it all. As an adult you start to understand the work that is required in their efforts. I am currenlty the same age my mom was when she had me. My mom is the most inspirational and positive person I have ever met. I am a middle child, and I've been screaming about "Middle Child Syndrome" since I could remember.

[Middle children tend to get lost in the sibling shuffle. They never experience anything first like your overachieving eldest, and they don’t hog the spotlight like your attention-seeking lastborn. In turn, middle children often feel excluded and misunderstood—and this phenomenon is often referred to as “middle child syndrome.”]

As a middle child I used to feel like I was lost in the shuffle, but over the years my mom has shown me that the power of Love from a mother erases all self doubt. Whenever I am sad or feeling low, she reminds me that everything happens for a season, a reason, or a lifetime. She then would put a big ol Texan smile on her face and say "Only You Can Make Yourself Happy!"

My mom grew up in the "hood" of St. Louis where most people remain for a lifetime, she moved down to Texas to get her college degree. She got pregnant with my older brother and dropped out to raise him. 5 years later she had her pride and joy: ME, OF COURSE! and then 4 years late came my younger brother. My oldest cousin came to live with us right before I was born for a better education. She met life as a single mother raising 4 rambunctious boys. But we never saw her fret. When she sets a goal for herself she sees it through. She worked long hour so that we could attend private schooling, then managed to take us to 1000 extra curricular activities, cooked meals, kept a clean home, and was able to drag us out of bed for an 8am church service every Sunday. As young men of color she wanted to make sure we were able to step out strongly into the world.

You see my mom's brother was arrested and put on death row for 31 years for a crime that DNA evidence proved he didn't commit. She was determined that none of us had that same fate. Whenever we were feeling low, or feeling less than by an experience the world handed to us, she always took the time to empower us and remind us that no mater what "Only you can make yourself happy!" She refused to let us give up on our goals. She instilled a strength in us that only a mother can.

Being an adult and being able to see her life continue to blossom is a blessing. After she got all 4 boys through college, she went back and earned her degree. She was able to have her 80+ year old mother, 4 boys, & her sister watch her proudly walk acroos the stage to accept her diploma. Soon after she got her real estate license and has several properties all occupied. She actively works out with her girlfriends from high school via Zoom, and continues to keep the most beautiful home that feels like Love.

Mothers are what keep our world together. The sacrifies they make are done without hesitation. As I move into adulthood and learn to embrace life on my own, I will alwasy be able to walk with my head held high. I will always be able to handle bad news with the motivation to embrace it and get through it. Because it's life. Things happen that are out of our control. But when I panic, when I feel overwhelmed, I take a deep breathe and give thanks for being alive, and remind myself "Only I Can Make Myself Happy". And then I think of that big ol' Texan smile and all is well in the world again.