15, quiet, black, pregnant, disappointment – Me. Out of all those words, the one that stood out most was disappointment. See, I disappointed the people who believed in me, one being my biology teacher and the other, myself.

Now, my teacher didn’t verbally say those words, but I saw the sorrow in his eyes when he asked was I pregnant. As for me, my path was to be the 1st girl in my immediate family to graduate high school and attend college, but life happens.

We all know being a mom in general can be difficult. Imagine, being 16, teenage mom, attending night school and working. Tough right. Yes, I was determined not to be another statistic in my childhood history book. I completed high school, went to college and became a Registered Nurse.

We all know the lines from the movie Forrest Gump, “Life is like a box of chocolate”. Yes life is like a box of chocolate, but the vision that GOD gave me years ago that never left my spirit will allow me an opportunity to define the chocolate that was placed in a teenage mother’s life.

The vision of a maternity home, Blooming Butterflies, a home where there is unconditionally love, support, the ability to continue to focus and dream. Here at Blooming Butterflies, a mother will always have a babysitter, a ride to work or school, encouragement, and most importantly guidance.

Blooming Butterflies is a home where every mother is BLOOMING!!!

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Anitra Foster
Founder, Mentor