Leaving My Kids With Their Dad Was the Best Choice

"He had his chance during the first part of their lives to make mistakes, get fired from jobs and figure out his formula for success, and now it's my turn, " xoJane's Te-Erika Patterson says of her son's father in a personal essay about a difficult parenting decision. 

What can I say? Life can change in the blink of an eye. You can either mourn the past or create a way to progress and that's what I did.

I had my two sons while still in undergrad, their Dad and I were college loves and I could have sworn we would be together forever. Things didn't work out that way.

He went his way forging ahead in his career as an attorney and I was left behind, still trudging through undergrad with two kids and a part time job.

I managed to finish college with two kids in tow, move back to Miami to live with my parents while I sought out suitable employment. I hopped from job to job, working at a newspaper and then as a customer service rep and then for a private school as a secretary. I managed to pay my bills by myself and we were happy for a while. 

Then I got this itch, this hankering to be more than a secretary. I knew my writing skills could pay my bills but I didn't know how to start ...

Read Te-Erika Patterson's entire piece at xoJane. 

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