When I was in college at an elite low acceptance rate university, many fellow co-eds who observed me dressed up on campus for work and play misperceived I came from a Fresh Prince of Bel-Air or Silver Spoons background and lifestyle. Though I was a grounded and humble workaholic who gave back at every chance, I struck most as overprepared and maybe even a little spoiled as I led the ways for my peers inside and outside the classroom.
Then people would meet my parents, who look like they can be my brother and sister, and be very surprised at what they had gotten wrong. It is sad that such a doomsday stereotype comes to people from backgrounds of a certain color, country, zip code, or in my case, parental age. I was not raised to know I was supposed to have barriers or “disadvantages,” so I never had any and I grab life for all it is worth. Like daughters of senior or highly educated parents, I just want to live life in a way that would make not only my parents but my many grandparents proud. With me my mom and dad learn how different, and similar, kids can be from them, as they age gracefully.
I wrote about the many advantages I had as a child of a teen mom over at SheKnows.com.
Happy Mother’s Day and enjoy!
negression 
Found it difficult to find the related article on the stated site. …Could not go through it. A fuller link would be helpful.
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Hello Yesudas, Wow I did not know that. Let me find out what happened and send it to you. Thank you for reading my tribute to my mom! Much love, Kalisha
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Thanks, Kalisha!
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You’re welcome Yesudas! I’ve been travelling so it was hard for me to get online, but this link will work: http://www.sheknows.com/parenting/articles/1083010/my-mother-was-a-teen-mom-and-i-had-a-better-childhood-for-it. Thank you again so much! Kalisha
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Thank You for sending the link, my Dear Kalisha! …It is a Powerful article indeed.
Is that You and Your Mom in the photograph? You both are Beautiful. Very good to see.
Would it not be true to say that You had ‘LOVING’ parents and so many other relatives rather than they had been ‘teens?’
In India, there must be quite a few Unwed (teen) mothers, abandoned by the boy, BOTH the families and society. Horribly and More than Saddening, of course.
As You say, all those ‘studies’ are just to utilize ‘grants.’ And they can keep the names they give these ‘studies.’
Love and Regards to You. 🙂
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Hello Yesudas, Ha ha thank you! Yes. I feel the same way. All of these invented studies examining what so many people experience as totally normal, in the name of grants and non-profits and such. That is why I wrote the article. It all felt normal and loving to me. Yes that is me as a baby with my mother, about 1980 🙂 Love to you as well, Kalisha
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🙂
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Just Beautiful words – Touching – Happy Mothers Day..
M-O-T-H-E-R
“M” is for the million things she gave me,
“O” means only that she’s growing old,
“T” is for the tears she shed to save me,
“H” is for her heart of purest gold;
“E” is for her eyes, with love-light shining,
“R” means right, and right she’ll always be,
Put them all together, they spell “MOTHER,”
A word that means the world to me.
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Thank you Mihran! Your words are beautiful as well and hope you’ve enjoyed your day. Much love, Kalisha
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