Only 16-years-old, I was searching. I was looking to experience what my parents kept me from as a child, better yet as a teenager. My parents were both teenage parents when I was born. My mother was 15 and my father was 17 when they found out they were going to be parents. Within a couple months, they were married, my mom had just turned 16 and my dad was 18.
I was born. I had a wonderful life being that my dad who was in the military. I grew up at Cross Word Christian Church in Moreno Valley and my parents thought being involved would save my life.
I maintained excellent grades in school, but I always wanted to do what my parents did not want me to.
At the age of 16, I found out that I was pregnant with a baby girl. I was scared, but happy at the same time. I named my child Serenity. Serenity’s name came from my mothers supervisor she gave her the Serenity prayer and I agreed that’s what I needed in my mother and my life.
I needed to change my life for her, I didn’t want to turn out like people I knew or grew up with. I could go to any university I wanted to with the grades and SAT scores I had, but I chose the US NAVY.
I brought the papers for my parents to sign along with the court papers to give the guardianship of my 6-month-old daughter. Two weeks later, I left for boot camp and A school.
I seen my daughter for the first time in 2-months for only three days, and when I seen her I cried and held her tight but she didn’t remember me and was scared of me.
The next time I saw my daughter she was 15-months. I got stationed in San Diego where she lived with me but mostly with my parents in Moreno Valley.
Later, I had my daughter Harmonie with my then fiancé. I told myself I set my children’s life forever with me doing a few years. Now at 21-years-old, a U.S. Vet, and married, my husband and I just welcomed a baby girl, Honestie a few weeks ago.
She was born severely premature, and just seeing my daughter fight for her life, who is still in the hospital doing wonderful and a blessing that she will be coming home. I used to say I lost part of my life and was not able to go to college the way I dreamed of but now I know how I set my children’s future.
Sometimes I wish I was still in the Armed Services because financially I was more than stable and it’s different as a civilian. But it taught me maturity and how to value my family being away from them for that length of time.
I am a 21-year-old married woman of three beautiful baby girls (Serenity, Harmonie, and Honestie). I did for my country, for my family, and now I’m doing for me.