Not because my sons are L2 Unlimited, the Youngest Certified CEOs in the State of Florida, or because my daughter took the first and second grade in the first grade. But because it is truly a blessing to have kids.

There is no greater joy than being a mother!!! A song that speaks volumes about being a mother was first recorded by Nancy Wilson and later by Regina Belle called If I Could. To this day, this song is very emotional for me, because I love my kids so much. My biggest challenge is, that I love everyone else's kids too. I have treated other kids the same as I have treated mine, some with good end results some without. But still I love kids.

Although our kids aren't perfect, they happen to be ours. There are days when I feel like the most blessed mother in this entire world, simply because they are my kids. I know I cant be the only mother that feels this way, but sometimes I look at them and want to cry. But I am blessed not only by their presence, but by their character, which is unmatched by anyone else.

I often tell folks that my sons were raised to 18, they didn't just grow to 18. There is a difference, and if you don't know what that difference is, you probably didn't raise yours. No disrespect, but that is what is missing in our kids, especially our sons, these days.

I want my kids to know that there will be a lot of people in their lives as they grow up that will disappoint them. I will not be one of those people.

There will be many people in their lives that they won't be able to trust, but I won't be one of those people. If no one else in life supports them, I will always be there. I do not lie to my kids and I always provide positive inspiration and motivation in whatever conversation that we have. I am their mother, but I know that I am the person they trust without a doubt; they trust my opinion, my guidance and my judgment. They have a love and respect for me that is almost unheard of, except in our family, which resonates in their other relationships. Sunday dinner together every Sunday, including their girlfriends, whoever they are. I will love and accept anyone that they choose to make them happy and to become the mother of my grandkids. (Heffers just remember, I have grandparents rights) But we don't do kids before marriage. Character cannot be bought, it has to be taught.

I will do a lot to make sure my kids are not only successful, but make sure they are happy as well. I was the homeroom mom when my kids were in daycare. I was having fundraisers for the two-year old class. LOL. I used all of my sick days from work, just to visit them at school for holiday lunches, birthday parties, whatever the occasion was for me to be there. My mom, their Granny, did grandparents day. My point is, I started out early forming a comfortable means of communication with my kids. I made it a point of recognizing them when I was on the phone, by telling the caller, "I will call you back, my son or daughter needs to speak with me." I did this to show them how important they were to me. Middle school, I won't even talk about, because that is when things got crazy with my sons, from making straight A's to lying about turning in projects. I thought it would never end. But I never gave up on them. Then came high school. WOW.

No one would've thought my sons had the potential for business that has transformed into L2 Unlimited. Low grades, low test scores, etc. But unlike other parents, I never argued and I never gave up on them. I simply conversated about what was needed to turn things around and why. I used positive motivation and encouragement to reverse a bad situation. I believed it was important for my kids to never see that I doubt them, and I was right, because since then Ron told me that he didn't know if I believed he could do it or not but he never saw that I didn't. I told him that I believed anything was possible, so if it was possible then I knew HE could do it.

I share this for all the mothers who, like myself, simply love their children. For those mothers who have small children, start now having conversation and spending time. If not, they will turn 12 and there won't be anything you can tell them because you didn't start early. The club and a man can wait, your kids can't. Dick has never been more important to me than my children. I've never slept with anyone simply because. I met my husband, their father when I was 17, we are still married today. It was important to me, that I lead by example. They have never seen me disrespect their dad, and they never will. They know of no disrespectful position that I have ever been in, and the ones that they do know of, I told them. My past is not a mystery to them, I use it to show them that I am not perfect and to learn from my mistakes, but I am a thinker and I believe that we have choices in life and it is up to us to make good choices. Sure, my kids have disappointed me many times, but in the end, they are still mine. No, they didn't get it at first, but with my love, support and guidance, they finally did. Thank God, they finally did. To my kids, and my daughter-in-law(s), I thank you for blessing my life with your unselfish presence. Your unconditional love has helped to shape my very being.

I LOVE BEING YOUR MOTHER.......
MRS. DANA