Being a young mom is hard enough, but it sucks when you face the truth that you're doing it alone. I found out I was pregnant weeks after celebrating my 21st birthday, and selfishly the first thing I thought of was, “Oh my God my life is over!” Add to that, I found out about my pregnancy in the most embarrassing way possible.

April 23, 2010, I remember that day like it just happened yesterday. I went to my medical assisting class like any other day and expected another evening full of information. I had just gotten out of a really important meeting and rushed to school without changing into my navy blue scrubs like we were required to do every day.  As I stormed into class just a few minutes late with my uniform in hand, my instructor, Mr. Hill, explained that I would be the class guinea pig. He decided that since I had to go to the restroom anyway I could supply the sample that was needed for the day’s task. Without hesitation, I gladly complied with what he had just asked me to do. After supplying Mr. Hill with the sample of urine he needed, I promptly took my seat next to his desk to prepare write down to the vast amount of notes that I knew he was going to supply us with. Just as my lab partner had done, I wrote the heading “How to Read a Pregnancy Test” on my paper and then waited for him to continue with the evening’s lesson.

“Congratulations Keaidy,” my instructor yelled out! “When were you going to share the exciting news with us”? I sat there absolutely frozen as my mind raced with different ideas about what was going on.  I tried to find a clever remark for his attempt at a terrible joke until my eyes confirmed what my mind failed to believe.  Although I could clearly see the two visible lines on the pregnancy test that he held up for the class to see, I needed more evidence.  Twenty minutes and six pregnancy tests later I could no longer deny the facts, I was going to have a baby.

Even after the initial shock wore off that I would be substituting late night parties for late night feedings, and designer clothes to whatever it was that my budget would be able to afford, I never thought I would be raising a little girl in this crazy world by myself. Once the reality of motherhood set in, I found myself looking forward to the idea that I would one day be a wife and raise more kids with the same man; I would have never imagined the man that I planned my future with would become my enemy in a child support and time sharing dispute. Now don’t get me wrong, I realize I’m more fortunate than most since my child’s father does not mind spending time with his daughter, it’s just hard to fathom that a man in his late twenties doesn't understand that raising a child actually costs money and requires you to actually grow up.

So he we are, almost ten months ago I made the decision to end a relationship that we had been working on for half of a decade. The decision was not easy because that meant that along with being alone, I would one day have to answer the question for Khloe as to why her parents were not together. The journey started off incredibly rough, but I would not be where I am today if I didn't take that first step.

During this time, I lost my small family and even a good amount of ‘friends’, but I've gained so much more. I’m stronger, wiser, and much more confident in myself than I've been in years. The pain, struggle, and heartaches that I’ve experienced have been great motivation to go back to my passion. Writing has always been my outlet, so it only made sense to take it all and turn it into something hopefully bigger than just me. With every line, paragraph, and stanza I write, I hope that my experiences can be inspiration for someone else. So please make sure to follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, because even though I've made it past the toughest time, my new journey is just now beginning.