Motherhood: A Precious Celebration

April showers don’t only bring May flowers. They bring Mother’s Day flowers! May is the month where we celebrate motherhood and show love and recognition to all the wonderful, hard-working mothers. Having a mother and even becoming one is such a blessing. For this article, I got the chance to interview Teresa Edwards-Burch, who was at the time, a single mother.

Teresa Edwards-Burch on Raising Her Kids As a Single Mother

I can only imagine how hard it must be to raise four children as a single mother, but Teresa didn’t give up even when things became difficult. Becoming a mom for the first time has to be a feeling of inexpressible joy, I’m sure.

It all started on November 16, 1994, when Teresa gave birth to her first son, Terell. She explains how even though she was scared, having her baby was the best decision she made. “I was initially scared when I found out I was pregnant. I was not married and in a relationship that I was unsure of where it would end up. But, when I had my son, my entire world changed. He was a 9 lbs 4 oz baby, and seeing him for the first time gave me an unexplainable love.” 

From that day forward, Teresa knew instantly that her son would be the reason for her to keep going in life. “At that moment, I knew that there was nothing I would not do to make sure that he would thrive. He became my instant motivation never to quit.” Then, three more blessings came along, which gave Mrs. Edwards even more motivation in her journey through motherhood.

The Struggle and the Hustle of Motherhood is Real

After having her fourth child, Teresa decided to go back to school and further her education. She explained how being a mom of four and going to college challenged her. Still, this challenge did not stop her from achieving her dreams; it made her work even harder. Edwards was working full-time and going to school full-time. However, while completing her Bachelor’s Degree, the state of California was able to help her with childcare. “My caseworker informed me that they would not only pay for my childcare during the day but that they would also pay for an evening childcare provider so that I could go to school.”

When asked how she managed to excel in her college classes as a mother to four, Teresa showed her admiration for the two childcare providers that helped her out the most. “I had two amazing childcare providers, Mrs. Irma Henry during the day (when the older children were not in school and my youngest was with her during the day because he was not in school yet) and Mrs. Gloria Bivens, who was kind enough to pick up the older children from school and my youngest from the day time childcare provider so I could go straight to school in the evenings after work.”

After the late nights and sometimes early mornings of doing homework, the hard work and dedication that Teresa put in would have finally paid off. In 2005, she graduated from San Bernardino Valley College; in 2008, she graduated from California State University San Bernardino. The most beautiful and special moment of all is that her kids were at each graduation witnessing the proud, heroic moment of their mother achieving her goals. “I wanted them to know anything is possible if you work hard and don’t give up.”

A Proud Mother Through It All

There are so many joyful and exciting things about being a mom, but many things are not easy or are frustrating, which is understandable. Motherhood is all about adapting to a new lifestyle. It’s a learning experience along the way and even though we will all make mistakes, learning from them and getting back up on your feet again is most important. 

When asked what’s the best and most challenging thing about being a mom, Teresa responded, “The best thing about being a mother is watching my children do better than I did at their respective ages. I tell them my mistakes in hopes that they will not have to struggle like I did at times.” 

“The hardest thing about being a parent is wishing that you would have done some things differently,” she added. “My children would not have gone through some of the things they did, and they would have better opportunities had I made wiser choices.”

You can learn a lot from your own children throughout the years. They teach you certain things that would surprise you, and that’s an extraordinary part about becoming a mother. Which led me to ask Mrs. Edwards: What has she learned from her children?

“I have learned from my children that you don’t have to end up where you started. Their success lets me know that despite all of my mistakes as a single parent, I managed to do something right because they are thriving,” she said. “They are making better decisions for their lives; they are homeowners, husbands, and wives. They are my four heartbeats and make me extremely proud to be their mother.”

Teresa then shared a heartwarming comment that touched my heart and inspired me. She added, “As a single mother, parenting has been on-the-job training. If it wasn’t for my family and close friends, I could not have done it. Many nights, I sat behind closed doors and cried, not knowing how I would take care of things, but I’d always dry my eyes and keep going, all because I had four beautiful children who depended on me. They were and are my reason for never giving up until this day. Like I tell them, Quitting is not an option, and if you quit, you won’t get to see the good parts of life.” 

Showing Love and Appreciation to Mothers

Moms are the most beautiful human beings that we enjoy having in our lives. They instantly become our first friend, best friend, and forever friend. We honor and celebrate all mothers here today, those resting peacefully, and all other mother figures.

This also includes the wonderful grandmothers, aunts, sisters, LGBTQIA+ couples, and even single fathers who step in to fill this role. No matter what, you are loved, and we thank you.

Don’t wait until Mother’s Day to remember to hug your mothers and mother figures tightly and show your appreciation for them because they won’t be here forever.

Let them know they are loved and appreciated today and every day. We must cherish the special moments we have with them before it’s too late. Motherhood is a beautiful and sweet blessing, after all.