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Dancing the night away, I’m the
young pretty girl with the wild
curly hair, the big smile, and
the loud carefree laugh to match
her attitude. So many people
would think, “This girl has no
problems in her life, she’s just
living it up.” And in a way,
this is exactly the case. I
absolutely adore my life and
wouldn’t change a single thing.
Everything happens for a reason.
I’m 23-years-old, fell in love
at sixteen and had a fairy tale
courtship. Being the total true
romantic that I am, I married
the summer after I graduated
from high school. Being married
was wonderful. But, people
change, and sadly, so did my
relationship with my husband.
After five years of marriage and
a beautiful baby boy, we got a
divorce. |
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Nancy Nydia De La Garza
and Keoni |
For me, a firm believer
in the sanctity of marriage, a
divorce was catastrophic. I
cried when everyone was sleeping
and when daylight came, so did
my smile. I had to be strong for
my son, Keoni. Time heals and I
realized that it was O.K. to cry,
but it’s better to smile.
Being a single mother is hard.
Having two jobs and going to
school full-time keeps me busy
at all times. I have a hectic
schedule and I’m always doing
something. I don’t study at home,
home time is Keoni time. But I
still make time for me when he
is with his father. Weekends are
for the gym and pedicures.
Afterwards, it’s time to be home
and pick playdoh out of the
carpet and scrub a weeks worth
of bath crayon drawings from the
tub. Still, life is good, very
good.
My son is my life, my partner in
crime, my buddy, my sunshine. He
is wonderful, my son is me. He
helps me discover and rediscover
my world everyday. I recognize
my speech patterns in his. He
points out the stars in the
beautiful night sky when I’m
preoccupied with hurrying inside
so we can start our bedtime
routine. He shows me how
beautiful people look when
they’re sleeping and at peace.
He has shown me how to teach,
nurture, and love. Occasionally,
I do worry if I’m being the best
mom I can be for my son, but
then I take a step back and
really look at the person that
my two-year-old really is. Keoni
has an extensive vocabulary in
both English and Spanish, he
knows how to count, how to
recognize shapes, colors in
English and Spanish, great
manners, a creative imagination,
and a personality that draws
people in like a magnet. I worry,
but not too much. If I can carry
on an in-depth conversation with
my two-year-old, then I must be
doing something right.
I’ve been told that I am mature
for my age, but I am young. I
drive fast, but mainly because a
little voice strapped to a car
seat in the second row is
screaming, “Mami, go fasta!” I
dance and sing out loud while
driving, but the people in the
cars beside me don’t know that
half of the time it’s Shakira on
the radio and the other half
it’s Sesame Street. Being a
young single mother is nice yet
difficult. It is wonderful and
rewarding. You learn to balance
your life in a way people cannot
even begin to imagine. I can
multitask, it’s as if I had a
degree for it.
When I was growing up, my mother
gave me a choice every weekend;
I could clean my room and go
out… or stay home. I…stayed home,
EVERY weekend. She doesn’t say
it, but I’m pretty sure my
mother is amazed with my
transformation. I go to school,
work, wash, iron, clean, cook…
(spaghetti counts right?) What
I’m trying to say is that you
adapt. You can’t plan out your
life because you never know
what’s coming. Life is a box of
chocolates, so eat them all and
go to the gym later.
I surround myself with love,
great friends, a caring family,
good vibes, and good energy. My
life isn’t how I planned it, but
I love it. I absolutely love it.
Life can be trying at times, but
my son is smart, and he will see
all his mother has done. My
actions will only make him a
better man. Because of
everything, I am happy.
People should assume that I have
no problems, because I don’t
feel like I do, I am living it
up. Roll with the punches, if
you get knocked down and get
back on your feet running.
Because hey, when life hands you
lemons, make limonada, right?
By
Nancy Nydia De La Garza |
