Connect What is the most rewarding part of being a mom?

Being a mom means being a cycle-breaker. While my journey began in 2013, it was in 2019 that I found the strength to break off on our own, ensuring my three boys lived the life I imagined for them. The greatest reward is providing a childhood they don’t have to recover from. In the home I secured solo, generational trauma stops with me. Every messy, joyful, simple moment is a victory. I’m giving them the foundation I had to build for myself—healing our lineage one intentional day at a time.

What is the biggest lesson motherhood has taught you?

Motherhood taught me that I don’t just raise my boys—they raise me. My three sons are my greatest teachers, pushing me to grow and teaching me an abundance of patience. We’ve learned to laugh through moments that might break others. As my youngest says, at the end of the day, it’s always the "4 Flamingos." I’ve learned you can be both the soft and the hard parent, the provider and the protector, as long as it's built on love. We are proof that you can start over and still stand tall.

What would you do with $20,000?

$20,000 would be the fuel for our next chapter. As a solo mom, I’ve worked to give my boys stability, but our 2005 SUV, "Betty," is tired. This gift would mean a reliable vehicle to get the "4 Flamingos" back on the road for the adventures we love most. It’s more than a car; it’s the freedom to create "memory book" trips without the fear of a breakdown. It would provide the financial breathing room to keep building the life I imagined for them, proving that our journey is just beginning.