A TRIBUTE TO REAL-LIFE WONDER WOMEN
Here are stories of sacrifices these single moms have made to raise their children right
Against the odds Advocates/Authors/Public Speakers Danah and Stacy Gutierrez for mom Angela Gutierrez, Marketing Director for Converge
Being a parent is not easy, it is even harder if you are doing it by yourself. Mothers have traditionally taken on the role of “ilaw ng tahanan,” but in many cases and for varying reasons, they have had to become the “haligi” as well.
This Mother’s Day, these children who were raised by single moms share their stories to pay tribute to all the heart and hard work their Wonder Woman put into single parenthood. Getting pregnant at 15 back in the early '90s is a terrifying experience. Imagine the social scrutiny a young mother has to face; add to that the expected expenses of a solo parent. Fortunately, my mom chose to have us despite the consequences of her decision. Growing up, we’ve seen her juggle her school works with her side jobs and our home life. We’ll be forever grateful that our extended family helped in raising us, because it’s true what they say—it takes a village to raise a child… what more identical twins. We know how difficult it was to raise two young girls, but she did what she had to, and we knew it was the best she could do. We remember one early morning, at around 2 a.m., we woke up to the sound of our mom crying. She was trying to control her heavy sobbing as she talked to an older family friend over the phone. It’s been a difficult financial time for us, as my mom has been trying to make ends meet for our tuition. We were in elementary school back then. We guess our mom just needed a voice of reason and a source of comfort, as she unloaded her frustrations and struggles as single mom of two. She worked really hard and tried her best to balance her time, despite the physical exhaustion from her daily commute. What a blessing it is to see where she is today, a marketing director for a reputable internet service provider. It’s truly humbling and inspiring to look back and remember how she worked and prayed hard for everything she’s accomplished today, amid all the blood, sweat, and tears.
We love you, mom! You’re a fire that warms our home and guides our path. We know how hard you work to provide for the comfortable life we live. We may have faced many storms, but we’re stronger and closer now more than ever. Your patience with our mistakes has pushed us to become better women. Thank you for raising us the best way you know how. We love you ma, from the moon and back. We wish to be as funny, beautiful, witty, driven, and glamorous as you when we reach our 40s. We thank God for you.