Today, I find myself reflecting on one of the defining moments of my life, the departure of my mother from our family home when I was only 7.
While she is very much alive and continues to be one of the strongest women I know, that season changed the course of my childhood forever. Like many children whose parents separate, I struggled with questions I was too young to understand and emotions I was too young to express. I battled loneliness, feelings of abandonment, confusion, insecurity, and at times a deep distrust of people and relationships. There were moments when I wondered why my family looked different from others, why some milestones felt incomplete, and why I carried burdens that many of my peers seemed not to understand.
Growing up, I often had to learn resilience before I learned comfort, strength before I learned stability, and independence before I was ready for it. The emotional and psychological effects followed me through different stages of life, shaping how I viewed myself, how I trusted others, and how I navigated the world around me.
Yet through it all, God never left my side. In seasons when I felt unseen, He reminded me that I was known. In moments when my heart was wounded, He slowly restored it. When anxiety, self-doubt, and emotional struggles threatened to define me, His grace carried me through. Looking back today, I can see His hand in every chapter of my journey. He gave me strength when I felt weak, purpose when I felt lost, and hope when circumstances seemed uncertain. He surrounded me with people who encouraged me, opened doors I never imagined possible, and transformed my pain into compassion for others. Most importantly, He blessed me with a mother whose sacrifices can never be fully measured. As a single parent, she carried responsibilities that were never meant for one person alone. She worked tirelessly, sacrificed endlessly, and made sure that all four of her children received quality education and opportunities she herself may never have had.
Today, every one of us is a graduate, a testament not only to God’s faithfulness but also to her determination, courage, and unwavering love. As the last born, I have had the privilege of witnessing firsthand the battles she fought behind closed doors so that we could dream freely. Her journey was not easy, and neither was ours, but together we endured. Today, I do not tell this story from a place of pain but from a place of gratitude, gratitude for a mother who refused to give up, gratitude for the lessons that shaped me, and gratitude to God who turned what could have broken me into a testimony of resilience, growth healing and Hope♥️