* From A World Super Mom’s Perspective   *

Hello, my name is Brittany Parnell. I had my daughter at the age of 21, married at 23, received my college degree at 24/25, and divorced my child’s father at 26 who also passed away a couple months later. On top of all that I quit my government job working for my local Sheriff’s Office back home at the age of 27, just to relocate to South Florida to pursue a dream and career in modeling all while starting my own business. Crazy, yeah, I know. But here I am today. I made it. I’m not quite where I’d like to be, there are obstacles every day, but I’m taking one step at a time and I am not giving up.

Luckily growing up, my mother taught me great values as a woman and as a mother. She taught me to never depend on anyone, that I could do anything I set my mind to, and that anything is possible with hard work, just to name a few. So with one Super Mom leading and teaching me, failing was not an option. Plus you only fail when you don’t try, right?

Having my daughter at young age was a blessing in my eyes. She became my purpose and pushed me in ways I never thought possible. My daughter is my best friend and
every decision I make in life is for her. Unfortunately, her father became terminally ill and I became his caretaker right before we got married.

Being with someone who is ill is not easy and there are many emotions that swirl around the household, along with other issues such as finances. After trying to work through the differences, which I believe were created his illness and him feeling primarily feeling like less of a man, we
decided it was best to end our marriage. A few months later, he succumbed to his illness, leaving me to be a single mother to my then five-year- old daughter.

Being a single mother is not easy. You really have to work for the title of mother. There are no days off. No other parent to call for help. You become mommy and daddy. A little person is depending on you and you are all they have to survive. Granted, yes I do have support from family, but they are hundreds of miles away and it’s only so much that a phone call can do.

Every day, I think about what I can do to make my life better in order to make my daughter’s life better because I know she is looking up to me and counting on me. At the end of 2017, I made the decision to leave my job of almost 5 years working for law enforcement and walk by faith. I moved to South Florida in hopes of developing as a model and building my career. I also started my own Entertainment/Event Planning business. I felt accomplished. Income from my business is not steady, but I’m surviving. I’m still pushing and working to develop it even more, along with my modeling.

Anything worth having won’t come easy and being an entrepreneur will definitely teach you that. Here I am today. A 28-year-old single mother, building a business, and building a new relationship with someone who has been there for me through some of my hardest times.

Life isn’t easy. Being a mother isn’t easy. But, at the end of the day, God chose me to fight this battle. He placed me in positions to make me stronger and wiser, and an overall better person so that I could fulfill my purpose of being a mother to my daughter. With all of the obstacles I’ve had to overcome in just the last 7 years of my life, there is no doubt about it. I am a Super Mom, and you are too. No matter what you may be going through, no matter how bad the storm may seem, it will not last forever. You too can and will overcome anything that comes your way. Just think about your child or children and remember they are depending on you. As long as you are making progress, that is all that matters. Some progress is better than no progress and no matter what you do, just never give up. If I can do it, you can too World Super Mom!

—Brittany Parnell

Florida US