Even though my childhood could be described as underprivileged, I always felt rich because of the upbringing and values instilled in me as a child. I have had many obstacles in my life but being a mother has never been one of them. I knew from a very early age that I did want to have kids one day so from a very early age, I mentally prepared myself to be in a position to raise smart, talented and responsible children. I did this simply by just paying attention to what was happening around me. After high school and after joining the U.S. Military, I meet and fell in love with another soldier and we were married. But our union only lasted 7 years, however, out of our union, we had 2 lovely, adorable and incredible daughters. By the time I met my husband, I knew what I had to do. First of all I had to put my health first because I realized early on, that a mother's health, whether it's good or bad, can be passed on to her newborn so I have always engaged in a good regular health routine -- in order to give my children the best chance they had of being born healthy. You should always put your kids first because they are the movie stars in your lives and it's your job to nurture them so that they can grow up into responsible human beings. As heads of the household and primary caregivers, it's up to many parents today, especially single women, to guide and mold their children into successful members of society. I think I did a brilliant job of that. Both my daughters received Master's Degrees and they also became business owners in their early 20s. I had to work through many difficulties and issues in my life but I count my blessings every day to see my family, my two daughters, bloom into the type of ethical and strong women that I could be proud of. I taught my daughters to show gratitude and count their blessings - while they celebrate even the small victories in their lives.