I used to think that the main reason behind a bad mother-daughter relationship is the mom who is not controlling enough. HA…Of course, I was wrong! To make no bones about it, I grew up in a middle-class African home in the state of Missouri where teenage girls are supposed to be obedient and show more respect for parental authority.

I moved to the US at the age of 11 with my 13 YO sister by ourselves; coming from Nigeria. We were literarily dropped into the hardest years of school…The Terrible Middle School Years!  Let’s just say not only was I a foreigner in my new environment, but the word foreign was my WHOLE life at that point. I was so lost, incredibly self-conscious, afraid, lonely, shy, and to top it off, I could barely speak “proper” English. Seriously, the middle school was already tough enough but to pull me out of my comfort zone and throw me into this, I was done!

Several decades later, I became a mom. The fierce thick skin I had developed over the years began to chip away. You see, I’m a recovering type A personality, making things pretty is indeed my jam and self-teaching and study is really my cup of tea. While and after my 16 years of work in the hospitality industry, I self-taught myself how to be a Realtor, Jewelry, Children Clothing and Floral Designer and Event Planner (I mean, I planned my entire wedding up until the morning off…I told you to type A).