In a small town where dreams often remained distant fantasies, I, Robin, carved my path. But this journey to becoming a highly successful psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner was not paved with gold. It was a bumpy road, filled with hurdles, each one leaving a mark, each one telling a story.

I was just a baby when life handed me its first big challenge. My biological mother, for reasons I'll never fully grasp, chose to walk away. But in her place, my grandmother stepped in, filling my world with love and warmth. However, as fate would have it, she too was taken away from me due to cancer when I was merely eight.

Many believed I was destined for despair. How could a girl, robbed of a mother's love, ever find her way in this vast world? But I was determined. I took refuge in books, drawing inspiration from tales of people who had faced far greater adversities and emerged stronger. Each night, under the canopy of stars, I'd make a silent promise, "I'll rise, just you wait and see."

Fast forward to my college days. Imagine a bustling lecture hall, alive with the chatter of students, while I sat engrossed in my nursing textbooks. I wasn’t the life of the party, nor did I have family calls filling my breaks. But I had a vision, and a past that propelled me to ensure no one ever felt the way I did.

One day, amidst the whirlwind of appointments at my clinic and the daily mayhem of mothering three spirited kids, my youngest son called me on the phone. With that intelligence and whit that mirrored my own and filled with curiosity, he asked, "Mom, how did you raise us to be so wonderful, given the challenges you faced growing up?"

I smiled, thinking of the countless times I had goofed up as a mom. But I told him, "Every time I felt lost, I'd remember the love my grandmother showered upon me in those brief years. It was my beacon. And whenever I felt I was faltering as a mother, I'd envision the mom I yearned for and strived to be her."

My son's heartfelt question was a reflection of my journey. It wasn’t the framed degrees or the professional praises that marked my success. It was the realization that I had shattered the shackles of my past and gifted my children a life brimming with love and understanding.

So, if you ever find yourself questioning your worth or letting your past dictate your future, think of my story. Life can be tough, but with grit, determination, and a dash of humor, any obstacle can be surmounted. If a young girl left behind by her own mother can rise to be a triumphant mental health provider and a doting mom, what’s stopping you?

*It's never about where you start; it's about the journey and where you choose to go.*