The moment your child was born; is when you become a mother. The journey of carrying and birthing a child is an experience that will transform your entire life. However, despite the amount of research, reading, discussions with others or observations nothing can adequately prepare you for motherhood.
In 2007, God blessed me with an adorable, bright brown eyed, dimpled cheek son. Raising him has been my greatest joy. He has taught me how to love unconditionally, patience, creativity, how to be fearless, how to use more of my imagination and be carefree. I never thought I would have the capacity to love someone else. Becoming a mother changed my life completely and I love every bit of it. I find myself in constant prayer asking God for wisdom, strength and endurance because I have approached the teenage years and I expect challenges.
Child rearing is difficult under any circumstances. However, as a single parent I am solely responsible for all aspects of his day to day. Truthfully, I experience an added level of pressure, stress and fatigue but I recognize and know the importance of being emotionally available because raising a boy into a young man is no easy task. Often times, I have heard the statement “Only a man can raise a man.” I interpret this statement that as a woman I do not have the adequate skills to raise him properly and that is contrary to my beliefs.
Now, just to clear, I do feel that fathers are important and valuable, however, I disagree that men are the only effective pathway for raising a boy into a man. In fact, I strongly believe that I have the ability to raise my son to have purpose, encourage him to have a growth mindset, and create opportunities for him to make positive impacts in our community. I am dedicated to teach my son resiliency and model it, I will teach him how to clean, cook and do his own laundry. I will teach him how to love and how to surrender his heart. I will teach him how to compete without having to compare, I will teach him how to love people as God loves the church and I will teach him that no matter what he’ll get everything he needs.
-Nicole Bailey
