A lot of people say to me, “Oh honey, you have your plate full, don’t you?” And admitted, it’s not easy to be a busy mom. Thankfully, I get to be a stay at home mom and a full-time student. People can be so negative when you tell them that you are in college and a mother at the same time.

“You have a baby and you haven’t even finished college yet?”

This statement is enraging. I’m twenty years old, and a junior who can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to getting my accounting degree. And I won’t stop there. My ultimate goal is to attend law school to become a bankruptcy lawyer. By tackling tasks head on, without fear, we are ultimately bettering ourselves and bettering the future for our families. Sure things can be challenging at times, but those times are what build character and make us grow.

Today’s society could use some of the attitudes past generations had when it comes to young people making decisions. My grandparents got married at 16, my grandfather supported my grandmother and my aunt that they had by the time they were 19, and I’ve never met two happier people. I hope my life can be just as happy, and full of love as theirs has been. I can’t speak for everyone because some people are strong willed, but negative comments on my choices have an effect on how I feel about what I’ve chosen to do. Being told not to take on so many things at once, or maybe to just take a little time to adjust to being a mom instead of continuing onto my dream has made me rethink being in school this semester more than once. But ultimately, I have to think of what my family needs, what I want, and the dreams that I’ve had since I was a young girl.

This is the time of my life in my opinion. No, I won’t be a twenty-year-old girl in college going to parties, making new friends, and living on campus, but that’s okay. I’m happier in this stage of my life than I ever have been before, and I honestly don’t see how I could enjoy life more than this right now. I’m making memories with my husband, watching my baby girl learn new things each and every day, learning new things that will help me in my career, and building up a lifetime full of sweet memories that I’ll have my whole life. And yes it’s true being this busy isn’t always easy, there’s plenty of times I can sit in the shower at night and cry because I’m exhausted from trying to get a research paper done with a fussy baby, while making sure that my husband has dinner and clean clothes for work the next day. But there isn’t a thing I would change. We should challenge ourselves and take on as much adventure as we can. It doesn’t matter if your form of adventure is living away at college, traveling the world, or starting a family; there isn’t a perfect time to go after what you want, so start doing it now. Yes, my plate is pretty much piled up it’s so full, but so is my heart.