Day Fifteen - From Panic to Power

As I continued working for the cleaning company, I kept hustling and doing everything I could to support my boys.

At the time, I needed public assistance for their health insurance and food stamps to help put food on the table. I remember feeling embarrassed and degraded—but today, I understand that accepting help did not make me weak. It made me a mother determined to make sure her children had what they needed.

Their father was constantly in and out of jail or disappearing somewhere, so I knew the responsibility rested on my shoulders. I could not wait for someone else to rescue us. I had to find ways to survive.

After my children went to sleep, my work continued. I decorated beautiful shirts with rhinestones. I made chocolates, lollipops, and other candies that I sold to local delis and gas stations. They would sell my creations and give me the profits.

When I picked my children up from school, I carried bags filled with the shirts and clothing I had made and sold them to the other mothers. People called me the “bag lady with a bag of tricks” because I was always carrying something and always finding another way to earn money.

Sometimes I felt ashamed because I could not stay home and play “Suzy Homemaker.” I had to work, create, sell, and hustle to support my children. But women do what they have to do when their children depend on them.

Looking back now, I am no longer ashamed of that woman. I am proud of her.

Every shirt I decorated, every piece of candy I made, and every bag I carried helped build the woman I am today. If I had not gone through those difficult steps, I would not have developed the strength, determination, and business sense that brought me to where I am now.

I wasn’t just a bag lady.

I was a mother carrying dreams, determination, and hope for a better future.

#MothersStrength #SingleMotherStrength #WomenWhoHustle # StrongWomen