by Ashley Geary

Created on: February 25, 2007   Last Updated: May 09, 2007

I am 20 years old. Most young adults my age are worried about partying, hooking-up, and what to wear. For me though there is nothing more rewarding than spending the day with my child. I have a 2-year old son who is my everything. I was only 18 when i gave birth to him and it has changed my entire life. I could'nt imagine what my life would be like any other way.

I am a single mom. So much responsibility comes along with being a single mother and I think it is probably the hardest struggle that any person could face alone, because alone is exactly what you are. It just seems like you have to work yourself to the ground to have anything. Im the type of mother that would work as hard as needed to make sure my child has more than I really can give him. Going through beauty school I worked a full-time job and after graduating i worked three jobs without having a day off for two months just so I would have enough money to get by and give my baby a happy childhood. The hardest part of that was the limited amount of time that I had with him because I always worked.

Finally, one day I could'nt handle it anymore. The work overload and the lack of time spent with my child had hit me like a brick wall. Sure I have money to go buy him a new truck or book but what use is it if I'm not there to play with him or read to him. Thats when I decided that spending time with my son and watching him learn and grow was far more important to me than any amount of money. Times have been hard, I now work in a beauty shop as a stylist but its just the beginning for me and everything is slow. Like most americans I struggle to get the bills paid and to put food on the table but at the end of the day I still feel like I'm the most blessed person.

God has given me life. God has given me a child. Without the smile on his face when we wake up in the morning or the comfort i feel at night when we lay down for bed nothing would be worth fighting for. Watching him grow, knowing that my 2-year old son knows his ABCs or can count to 10- thats what life is all about. Being a mother is the greatest gift you can be blessed with...everyday is a new ray of sunshine because to me you choose your battles. You can choose to worry and be upset all the time, or you can enjoy the moments you get with child and let everything sort itself out. Something that I always think about when I worry is somewhere out there someone has it worse than I do. Then I think of my son and smile because hes healthy, has a roof over his head and doesnt go hungry and that to me is just one of the joys of being a mother.

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