My Mother My Village
Unlike the traditional introduction blog, I’m not going to tell you where I grew up or what college I attended. Instead I’m going to talk to you about my mother. Why? Because you wouldn’t know how I got here, without knowing how she has guided me on this journey.
My mother was the 3rd oldest out of 11 children. Being one of the oldest meant that a very young age she had to help care for her younger sibling. In the 6th grade, due to extreme poverty, she was forced to drop out of Elementary school and began helping my grandmother wash laundry and clean houses for a living. At the young age of 17 she made the decision to leave Mexico and head to Los Angeles, California. My grandparents knew she was too young to leave home but the hope of a better life for her and for the family forced their hand.
Upon arriving in Los Angeles, my mother got a job sewing in the garment district. She worked hard/long hours yet always sent money back home. On the days she had off, she endured a long bus ride to Pasadena to visit her aunt. There, in Pasadena, California, at the age of 20 she met my father. During the next 10 years she had 4 children and became the best mother anyone could ever ask for.
Her heart was larger than life, her positivity & happiness exuded her. But most importantly my mother was the most giving, loving and nurturing person I have ever met. I truly believe that being a mother was embedded in her DNA. For the 58 years of her wonderful life she wasn’t only a mother to my siblings and I, she was a mother to all of her siblings, to her countless nieces and nephews, her co-workers, family friends and to anyone that had the privileged of meeting her. She was a true nurturer and she was wiser than I will ever dream of being.
You must be asking what this has to do with me? Well, growing up I saw her help others countless times. I saw her cook a craved meal for an expecting mom, I saw her breastfeed my cousin because my aunt wasn’t producing milk, I saw her worry and take care of sick friends as if they were family, I saw her buy clothes and food for families in need. So, when I was going through a difficult time with my son, I knew she was the one to ask for help.
I’ve asked myself the question many times. “Was it a coincidence that the day after I asked her for help, my own Doctor recommended I hire a Pediatric Sleep Consultant?” And the answer I always come up with is no. No, it wasn’t a coincidence, it wasn’t fate, it wasn’t divine intervention, it was her. It was my mother that pushed me to schedule a last-minute appointment for myself. It was my mother that arranged this appointment to be with a new Doctor, who had gone through the same thing I was going through. It was my mother that never made me hesitant, when I decided to hire a Pediatric Sleep Consultant. It was my mother that never put an ounce of doubt in me, when I knew I wanted to help other families like me and pursue becoming a Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant.
So, I sit here and sincerely tell you that if you are struggling with your child’s sleep, you do not have to do this alone. We were not meant to do this alone. We as parents need a support system. We need a village, let me be your village. Let me guide you step by step, let me give you confidence you need with nursing and let me get you the sleep you and your little one needs and deserved.
