I was 19-years-old and a sophomore in college when I found out I was pregnant with my oldest daughter. I was in Nursing school, a career I had been dreaming about since I was 10-years-old. While I was pregnant, I suffered from a rare disorder that led me to be hospitalized several times and sick much of the rest of the time. A few weeks after she was born, I sat in the living room of my in-laws house staring at my computer, trying to comprehend the failing grades I had just received; I began to cry. I wasn’t going to be a Nurse. And now I had this tiny baby to care for with no plan on how to support her in the future. I opened a new web browser and typed in “In-demand careers” into Google. An article of “10 Most In-Demand Careers” popped up. First on the list: Paralegal. If I had a dime for every time my mother proclaimed that I “should be a lawyer because you love to argue so much,” I wouldn’t need a career. I had zero interest in being a lawyer, so I began researching paralegal programs. I found a reputable associates degree program and enrolled the next day. During the program we welcomed our second daughter. While balancing roles of parent and student was difficult, I graduated from the program, on time, with a 3.7 GPA and Honors distinction. The Dean of the program told me I was the first student to have a baby mid-program and complete it. For the last almost 10 years I’ve done incredibly well in my career. But I’m ready for more, I’m ready for law school. I want to show my daughters that it’s never too late to dream and reach for those dreams. I want to create a legacy for them. Being a parent affected my education journey in the most unexpected way, it led me to where I was meant to be. I would have been a terrible nurse, but one day I will be an amazing lawyer.

My breath rolls in unprompted. It steadies me. I close my eyes and take it in. I let go and just let my lungs fill with air glorious air. I feel the cold air on my cheeks. The air is cold in my lungs, but it is not yet cold enough to burn. I take a moment to appreciate the dark and quiet outside; I let the moment linger. The days are so bustling and hectic that I sometimes forget to stop and breathe. So I take a moment each evening just to breathe. I sit outside in the dark of night while the world is sleeping to thank my body for its flexibility and strength. It has carried me through another day of playing many roles to many people. For one moment, I'm not a mom, wife, colleague, employee, student, mentor, sister, daughter. I'm just me. I breathe. Existing as I am, quiet, content, and full of gratitude. We made it through another day.