Mom.
A week-long series exploring motherhood
“Am I going to be a good mom if I decide to keep this child?” Angelee says of her first fear of motherhood.
Despite its joy and love, being a mom comes with fear. Am I choosing the right food? The right school? The right church? Challenges like homelessness, unemployment or addiction compound these fears.
“I come from a family of dysfunction. I come from a family of addiction,” says Angelee, mom to Israel, Adonis and Addison.
When her mother died on her couch, Angelee’s addiction worsened. She felt alone.
Angelee was afraid her addiction would lead to her boys being harmed. What would she do if someone hurt one of her children? What if the state took them away?
She reached out for help.
Better Together was there.
It started with friendship and mentoring. Angelee needed someone to care for her children while she secured housing. A Better Together volunteer host family stepped up, and a life-long friendship ensued.
Bright and optimistic, Angelee is excited about her future. It took work to get there, and she’s determined to never lose that hope.
“I find the change that I want,” Angelee says. She seeks out individuals and couples she admires and peppers them with questions. She applies their wise counsel. She audits herself daily.
“I have a vision of the woman that I want to be, or a woman that God designed me to be. She’s a Proverbs 31 Woman. She carries herself well. She doesn’t curse. She does not treat her children a certain way. She’s on time. … Every day, I ask myself, did I do these things today?”
Being a mom will always have its fears, but now Angelee doesn’t have to face them alone.
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An introduction to our Mom. series
Posted May 7, 2024 | Pamela Hayford
