International women’s month is a period of time dedicated to celebrating women from all types of backgrounds. This period of time can get you thinking about women who have made an impact in your life and the women who help shape society. So many amazing women stand out and are setting an amazing example to the world, continuously fighting common stereotypes and misconceptions.
Growing up I was constantly surrounded by strong, confident, inspiring women. In this article, the woman I chose to shine a light on is my mom. My mom is the most important person in my entire life. Her strength, kindness and courage have shaped me into the women I am today. My mother’s name is Laura. She is and will be my best friend for my entire life. I would not trust anyone the way I trust her.
My mom got pregnant at eighteen and had me at the age of nineteen. She attended a Catholic school which meant being pregnant in high school, especially at that point of time, definitely was not the most socially acceptable thing. My mom told me stories about how she would wear hoodies every single day in order to hide her baby bump from others. Hoodies every single day until it came time to walk across the stage at graduation. She arrived in a tight dress, highlighting the 36-week baby bump.
A month after graduating she had me. The strength my mother displayed here amazes me more and more everyday. The situation she was placed in was tough, but my mom pushed through it like a queen all for me and she continues to do so by putting her all towards me.
Although my mom had me young she never lost her determination when it came towards her education. Obviously, she had to rethink her choices. Newborns are not necessarily welcome in dorm rooms. She ended up going to a local college where she received her license to be a nurse on top of raising me and working part time to support us. My mom’s hard work constantly defines the person I aspire to be when I grow up.
Going to class and work can be hard enough and having a child adds on loads more stress. These years bring on an intense amount of responsibilities and stress for someone who is so young. Typically you spend these years of your life out partying and going around the world. My mom put her entire life on pause and reshaped her plan which is not necessarily the easiest thing to do for yourself.
To this day my mom continues to amaze me, she work two jobs as a nurse and continues to provide for me. As I have grown up I have been able to acknowledge all the things my mom fought for, worked for and even gave up for me, displaying her unconditional love.
I can not thank my mom enough for everything she has done for me in life. I could truly never explain how much she means to me. I would not be the women I am today without having this amazing role model by my side. She is truly my inspiration, especially when it comes to putting in determination and hard work to achieve my goals.
She defines the definition of a strong women and now she has raised a strong women who will go on to teach her kids the same