My mother defied the world to protect me and my son.
I got pregnant at age 14. This was in the early 90s, before that MTV trash show “Teen Mom” normalized teen pregnancy, when there was a much worse stigma attached to a pregnant 14 year old black girl walking around my small town or going to middle school. Plus, my mom had been a devout Jehovah’s Witness for 25 years, so her life revolved around the church. Of course, like any good church, the Jehovah’s Witnesses immediately turned their backs on me when they found out I was pregnant (I would be a bad influence on the other kids) and asked my mom to do the same. She told them in no uncertain terms, “I’m not leaving my daughter on the streets. Period.” So they shunned her.
Then my father decided I was a “lost cause” and told us he wanted me out of his house. My mother looked at him and said, “If she leaves, I’ll go with her.” My father gave in until my son was born in an attempt to keep my mother, but then he continued to be hostile toward my baby and me, to the point where I felt we weren’t safe. When my son turned one, my mother kept her word: she left my father and moved into an apartment with me and my son. And she never came home.
She never listened to people who said I would throw my life away by having a baby so young. She pushed me and made sure I finished high school. And college.
My mother passed away in December 2008 due to complications from her multiple myeloma diagnosis. She was my biggest protector, my biggest cheerleader, and my best friend. And I don’t think I have enough words to describe how badass my mom was.
Edit – I can’t believe this answer got so many upvotes! Thank you all! My mom is somewhere in heaven enjoying all this attention and the fact that she was actually right about everything…
Edit #2- Many people are asking for an update on how our lives have been going…
These two are me and my son. He is chasing his dreams and pursuing a career in the music industry, while I am a registered nurse. He still lives with me at the ripe old age of 26… We couldn’t be more connected.