Piece by piece
18-year-old Mary playing and posing with 2-year-old son, "Mainey".
The long and winding path that led me to start Strive Publishing includes my experience as a teen mom. I wish I could explain it to you in 100 words or less, but it's too complicated. So I decided to get with the times, and start blogging!
Being a teen mom was not easy for me or for my son. We had to grow up together and learn some hard lessons together. Fortunately, my friends were there for us every step of the way. It was like my son had three to five teen moms at a time, which could swing from being a good thing to being a not so good thing. After all, we were teenagers and we wanted to have fun!
If I knew then what I know now, I would have done so many things differently. At the same time, I understand now that a sixteen-year-old does not have the capacity to make the best choices for herself, let alone for her child. I believe this is particularly true for girls like me who do not know their fathers and have mothers who for whatever reasons, cannot show them the love and guidance that they crave.
It was this craving for love and guidance that led me to become a teen mom, and it was this craving that kept me stuck in a cycle of unhealthy relationships with men for decades. Through it all, I did the best I could with what I had and I kept striving to make something of myself. I kept striving to be the best mom I could be. I kept striving to live a meaningful life while bringing more children into this crazy yet beautiful world.
Over the years, people who know my story have encouraged me to write a book about my life. So, I started writing my story a few years ago, but it was too depressing - looking back over all the mistakes I made. I would rather be looking at the faces of my four beautiful, strong, and talented children because it is their lives that make me a better person. More than that, my children’s lives make the world a better place!
My story, my children's stories, and your stories will find their rightful time and place to be shared and to inspire others to strive on! Because our stories do matter, I will keep working on Strive Publishing. Meanwhile, I'll share some lessons I've learned along the way - piece by piece. And eventually, Strive Publishing will bring more stories into this crazy, beautiful world - book by book.