Warrior Mom; Christy

Christy's Story

 

My childhood was somewhat hard. Not the worst a child can face, but not ideal either. My parents divorced when I was very young and my mom left us. We weren’t starving but there was no extra money whatsoever. My dad often told me that I needed to go to college to have a better life. I was determined to do this. I wanted a better life for my children. I wanted them to have a stable family with both parents. I wanted them to never worry about money like I did at a very young age.

My dreams seemed to be going in the direction I planned. I succeeded in school both with grades and extracurricular activities. I had been accepted to every college I applied for and received enough scholarships to pay my tuition. Then one day I just gave up. Nothing dramatic happened and I still don’t know why, but I gave everything up. I went to work as a waitress and just kind of got by, living paycheck to paycheck. I had no direction, barely any stability, and just wasn’t making responsible decisions in general.

At age 24, I got pregnant with my oldest daughter…with a guy I had been dating a month. He seemed excited and ready to be a dad so I wasn’t too worried. Together we made enough money to raise a child with so things seemed okay. At 5 months pregnant, he decided to call me from work to tell me that he was in love with his ex and could I move out. Fabulous. My days of being a single mom had begun.

With no college degree, no great job, and nothing saved up, my daughter and I struggled to get by. At different moments of my daughter’s first year, I was homeless, carless, and literally without a dime to my name. There were times that there wasn’t much in my cupboards beyond some bread. My daughter’s first Christmas was heartbreaking. Though she was only 8 months old, I was depressed that I couldn’t get her anything. This was the life I promised myself that I would never do to my children. Here we were, living worse than the life I did.

A few days later, I signed up for college. I knew it was the only way out of this mess my daughter hadn’t been asked to be born unto. Long story short, I finished my bachelor’s degree, eventually married a wonderful man and had another child, and finally give both girls the life I promised myself I would give them. College, working, and being a single mom to a young girl was not easy. I cried a lot and slept a little. But I did it for my daughter. I could have given up. I could have lived off welfare and worked minimum wage jobs for the rest of my life, but I refused to give my daughter THAT childhood. Because of that, I consider myself a warrior mom. I have battled for a better life for my children.

Warrior Story written by Christy in her own words

     Check out my co-founders story @  Warrior Mom; Kimbra