The Self-Care Mom

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Dr Pepper®. The opinions and text are all mine.

Learning To Be A Girl

My years in a Catholic grammar school had made me a bit cold. I was still dealing with a bully at dance, and I never really connected with other female students. I hung around the boys, and the principal would always complain how it wasn’t “lady-like” to do so. She’d often have conversations with my mother about it.

When it came to signing me up for high school, there was only one place for my mother’s only girl — an all-girl Catholic high school. I was devastated and did my best to get myself out of there. Even before I was accepted, I told the principal that I didn’t want to be there, and right before submitting my test scores for high school, I only sent it to the school one of my brothers was attending at the time.

My mother found out about both, and she wasn’t happy.

When I was accepted to the all-girl Catholic high school, I wanted to cry. I did what I thought would help me get my way — I tried flunking six out of the eight classes I had during my first semester. My English teacher knew I was a bright girl, but she also knew I wasn’t happy. She and I had talks often and it was tough to swallow how I was failing because I didn’t want to be there anymore.

My mother asked me why I wanted to fail out of that school, and I told her I never wanted to go there. Her next words stuck with me: “You think you’re hurting me by doing this, you’re only hurting your future.”

From that day on, I worked with my teachers to improve my grades and did my best to make the most out of the years I had left. I attended clubs, made friends with just about everyone who walked by me, and even tried to inspire others in a similar situation.

I took the same mentality to dance class, and I did that for 15 years until I graduated.

I still don’t like ballet to this day, but classical music, musicals and old movies, that I dig.

My love for the kitchen grew from a culinary arts class I took my senior year in high school, dressing up and actually doing my makeup was something I learned to do from friends I met along the way.

I treasure those years not only because they made me who I am today, but because they remind me of the strength it took for me to overcome those challenges in my life.

A Mother’s Love

For years, I had watched my mom selflessly give to others and I never understood why she would be so quick to give someone money, yet would say we needed to save whenever I wanted something.

It’s her willingness to give from the heart and understanding that others aren’t always so fortunate that really made me understand the value of a dollar.

My mother is the type of person who gives without thinking she’ll receive. There have been times when she would rather give someone something than give to herself.

Today, as a mom of two, I see the same in me. I want the best for our little ones, and I can see my kids pouting and making faces when I tell them they’ll need to do something because it will help them in the future. I guess I learned from the best — the Wonder Woman who raised me.

So here’s a cheer to the Wonder Women in our lives who have taught us lessons about life and responsibility.

Right now you can get Wonder Woman themed Dr Pepper packaging at Walmart. I love that Dr Pepper is celebrating the new Wonder Women movie that will be in theaters June 2nd – be sure to check it out!

Let’s toast to the #WonderWoman in your life with the new Wonder Woman-themed Dr Pepper cans available NOW at your local Walmart.