When I reflect on the choices I’ve made in life, I realize my decisions have always been guided by certain values—even when I didn’t consciously define them. Looking back, I see that commitment, growth, and family are the three values that have shaped me most.
One of the boldest decisions I ever made was marrying my husband only six months after we started dating. Many people might have thought it was too fast, but to me, it wasn’t just about timing—it was about commitment and loyalty. I chose to build my life with him and to stay true to that decision.
Not long after, I made another choice that revealed just how much I value family and nurturing. My husband and I had agreed to wait a little before having children, to balance ourselves first. But I chose to take in, and that decision gave me my beautiful daughter. She changed my world completely.
At the same time, I was carrying another value close to my heart: growth and responsibility. I was determined to see myself through school with the little help I got, because I believed in building myself no matter how tough the road was. It wasn’t easy—being a student, a wife, and a mother—but I refused to give up on my future. (I was already a student before I got married though)
Yet, if I’m honest, the value I find most challenging to live out consistently is nurturing as a mother. Motherhood stretched me in ways I never imagined. The sleepless nights, the constant demands, the body changes (the point where I slimmed down so much because of the stress), the energy and time it drained out of me—it all felt overwhelming. I remember how my daughter’s cries were described as “wailing,” so loud and constant that even when I gave her everything I thought she needed, she would still cry. It frustrated me because I was already running between work, the shop, and managing my home—especially when my husband wasn’t around.
Even in church, where I serve as a chorister, she wouldn’t let anyone else carry her, and it was only the girl at my shop she felt comfortable with. When that girl stopped working because of her own pregnancy, I had no choice but to put my daughter in school earlier than I planned—barely two years old—so I could go to the market and restock my goods. It wasn’t easy, but I couldn’t carry her into crowded places, and I knew I had to keep going.
The financial stress has been another heavy part of this journey considering the fact that my husband went through some financial challenges at some point last year. I’ve always tried to put my daughter first as my priority, because after all, I brought her into this world, and it’s my duty to give her the best. But sometimes the strain feels too much. Just recently, I even lost a huge sum of money after forgetting my purse while attending to a customer at the gate. Maybe it’s the pressure of my condition affecting my focus, or maybe it’s just life testing me, but moments like that remind me how thinly stretched I am.
Still, when I look at it all, I see that my values are clear. Commitment, growth, and family keep showing up in every major choice I make. And though nurturing as a mother is the most challenging value to practice consistently, it is also the one shaping me most deeply—teaching me patience, resilience, and unconditional love, even when I feel overwhelmed.
And just yesterday, I celebrated my 3 years marriage anniversary. It isn’t exactly what I expected it to be, but it is a testimony of God’s faithfulness and grace. If we’ve come this far, it’s because He has carried us. For that, I’m grateful. I’m also thankful for my husband—for the journey we’ve walked together, for the moments that tested us, and for the love that still binds us. Three years down, and by God’s grace, a blissful future still ahead. I’ll keep going, trusting that the best part of our story is yet to unfold.
All images are mine
