Motherhood

I grew up in inner city Cleveland Ohio and representing a "hood" was a common thing in my era. Living on East 121st street my family would often tease me and say I was really from 121st Heights. During 90's-00's being from the "heights" meant you were from a "better" neighborhood or area or basically not really "ghetto"-whatever that is. To me I wasn't from the heights at all, I was from the hood just not of the hood. I pride myself on where you come from does not have to define who you are or where you will end up its simply just the origin of your being, but the possibilities of your future are endless and completely up to you.

Like most of us when life begins, we are full of curiosity often with a newfound freedom to make various choices. Sometimes we make those choices based on influences in our lives and other times we may go completely against our teachings. To an extent my parents kept me "sheltered" and I was not allowed half the freedom other kids in my area had. So, what did I do? The tradition I went of to college and decided to sow my wild oats and quickly found myself pregnant, sophomore year. Just under 21 years old, just beginning to live life so I thought, and I quickly changed the trajectory of my initial plans. It’s funny how all growing up we all have some idea of what we think or want life to be for us and then with a blink of an eye its completely different.

May 26, 2003, I gave birth to my first-born son, Jarrett , and life as I knew it would never be the same. Because I was still in college there was a lot of disappointment about my pregnancy and a ton of naysayers constantly informing me that I "ruined" my life. Today as I look back did, I change my life yes, but I would say I did not ruin it, instead the change defined me. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined I would be a single mother but in all its struggles and glory being their mom gave me purpose and I was good at it too.

Often as parents we put so much pressure on ourselves to do the right thing and be perfect for our children when we know being a parent is not cookie cutter it varies person to person and child to child. There is no handbook or guidance provided beyond our individual life experiences. It’s a journey that we learn from day by day together with our babies. I quickly learned on my journey that the only "hood" I would dare represent for the rest of my life is Mother-hood and I am darn proud to do so!