Dear Mother...

My mother has held a very prominent position in my life. She is indeed my sole provider while I complete my last year of college and the first person I ran to call when I simply needed a listening ear.
However, these days, I am reminded on a continual basis how much our relationship has changed. Sometimes it appears that our relationship has reached a breaking point. One which forces me to consider just how much I will allow her to be a part of the life I want for myself in the future.
I love my mother for all the good that she has contributed to me, but I find that more and more, the differences in how we see life, marriage, health, relationships with family, or friends are very different. So different that I have been made to feel guilty for holding opinions contrary to her own. It is a destructive pattern that I notice with disagreements between myself and my mother. One that sometimes smells like resentment, or jealousy, or perhaps a power struggle over my mind and emotions.
As I work toward realizing the best life for me, making the decision of who will be allowed in my personal sphere grows more difficult when I think about my mother. My heart would love to have "my mother" in my life for all time! But, my mind knows that the energy generated from our differences is not one that breeds much encouragement or support to go for my goals. Being the young and powerful women we are, how are we successfully navigating relationships with our mothers despite the obvious generational differences. Given our exposure to black female empowerment blogs, are there new differences coming to light that were a non-issue before? If so, what are we doing to turn these moments of frustration or hurt, into launch points for the lives we intend to live?

My Introduction

Hello and Welcome to a very new blog! After being a faithful reader of various blogs dedicated to positively influencing black women, I recognized quite a few young black women in their teens, 20's, and 30's who were touched by the message as much as myself. This blog is my attempt to reach out and connect with young black women on issues we may be facing at a very transitional time in our lives. I encourage all, irrespective of age, class, origin, etc. to participate in the discussions and brainstorming sessions we have. I look forward to the potential of this blog and hope to hear from Young Black Women Determined to Live Well like myself!