Today, as we celebrate the courageous mothers in our lives, I challenge you to reflect, as I have, on the obstacles that seem too big or too scary for you to face.
Consider what powers might be waiting inside you as I share with you how I overcame one of the most unexpected and difficult hardships I’ve ever faced.
At age 16 I was a schoolgirl with a dream of becoming a psychologist. But, to my surprise my dad said, “you're not going back to school. You're just a woman and you don't need an education. It’s time you get a job and start paying room and board.”
So, I did as my father told me. I got a job at the local Greek restaurant as a waitress and started paying room and board. We had just moved from Winnipeg and becauase my dad would not let me continue in school, I did not have any friends. I was being severely abused at home - physical beatings, verbal and emotional abuse. One night I was so afraid that I jumped from the 3rd story window.
I ran to the only person I knew, the cook at the restaurant where I was waitressing. He was 26 years old. He said he would marry me and take me away from all the abuse. Instead he disappeared when he found out I was 3 months pregnant. I never saw or heard from him again.
My father was so angry with me that he would not let me come home. Keep in mind that this was at a time when being an "unwed" mother was shameful. I ended up in a Salvation Army homeless shelter and stayed there until I gave birth to my beautiful 9 lbs 1 0z, healthy baby boy. I was a proud mother and happy my baby boy was born healthy. But, I was also heartbroken and ashamed. And they had a separate ward for the "unwed" mothers saying that they did not want to mix "us girls" in with the respectable married women. So I was feeling ashamed and being shamed at the same time.
I was raised as a Catholic and so the Catholic Priest was trying to get me to give my baby up for adoption and the Children's Aid Society Social workers were also trying to convince me to give my baby boy up for adoption. Both parties did all they could to convince me that I would never be able to raise my son on my own.
But, as difficult as my situation was, I was determined to keep my beautiful baby boy, love him and care for him and give him a good life - a life better than the one I had known up to that point in my life.
I rented a small housekeeping room and found a way to go back to school and completed my grade 12 and a clerk-typist course. I decided that I would work and go to night school forever if that was what it took. I was determined to get an education and become a psychologist so that I could help people. I didn't know how, but I had a crystal clear vision of what I would love and what I felt called to do.
And, when my son was 6 years old, I took out a student loan and went to University to became a social worker. And when I secured a position with the Welfare Department, I was able to pay back the student loan and I was helping people overcome adversity and difficulties so they could live happier lives. I remember saying to myself, "This is not work!" I was doing what I loved, helping people to live happier, more fulfilling lives and it did not feel like work.
Over the years, of being a single mother, going to night school and doing everything I could to make sure my son had opportunities that I never had,
I would go on to do a deep dive into the study of transformation and the principles I share with the world today.
And over the years I have been blessed to study with some of the most incredible, world renowned transformational leaders and mentors. People like Dr. Wayne Dyer, Neale Donald Walsh, Bob Proctor, Greg Braden, Reverand Michael Beckweth, Deepak Chopra, Don Miguel Ruiz, Les Brown, and Mary Morrissey. And I have studied many wonderful ancient texts that I was able to get my hands on over the years. Books filled with incredible wisdom and knowledge about Transformation, Spirituality and Success.
While things looked bleak at age 17, what I learned in the process of creating a better life for my son and going after my dream, was that you CAN create a life by DESIGN! and, You CAN Realize Your DREAMS! Little did I know back then what an extraordinary life I would live nor all the thousands of people I would help and all the lives I would continue to touch! I feel so blessed to be of service in this way.
Today, as I celebrate Mother’s Day, I am grateful for every event and step in my life that has brought me right here, where I am today, living my passion and purpose of serving humanity and helping people connect with their passion and purpose so that they can bring their unique talents, gifts and abilities to the world, make the difference they are here to make, and in the process create lives they absolutely love living - lives that are totally satisfying to their SOUL!
So what about you? Have you ever experienced a huge disappointment marked by struggle, shame and circumstance that turned out to be one of the great defining moments of your life?
Are you going through something RIGHT NOW that you could use to change everything? Could you allow yourself to ask, “I don’t know how, but what would I do if this actually worked out for my good?”
If you’re going through something and you’d like to share it with me, please email me at florence@florencerickards.com
No matter where you’re coming from, I hope this Mother’s Day you are filled with GRATITUDE AND LOVE for all you are, all you have and all that is still to come!
With love,
