Growing up with separated parents taught me a lot.

It showed me how women have the power to be invincible (of course with a little help from their families).

My mom always did what she had to do to support not only herself, but me as well, all throughout my childhood — until my stepfather came along to alleviate some of the stress.

I respect the hell out of her for her insane and dedicated work ethic, as it has proven to be a huge factor in what is now my work ethic.

But what saddens me is that not everyone has the same values.

So often when I speak with many young women my age, I ask them about their education plans and career goals. More often than not I get the, "I don't want to work, I want to be a stay-at-home mom" speech.

I've tried my best to wrap my head around this concept but I've truly been having an issue. I get it, you want to be home to raise your children. You want to see their first steps, hear their first words and overall be around to watch them grow and flourish into the tiny human beings they will soon be. But, for all intents and purposes, my mother saw all of this, and still managed to work.

Now I'm not bashing stay-at-home moms. What I am saying though, is that I think women are creating this false accusation of a lack of work ethic by saying that all they aspire to be is a stay-at-home mom.

"College? No need. I'm going to cook and clean all day while waiting for my husband and children to come home so I can take care of them all."

Now what happens, theoretically speaking, if and when your husband decides to leave you? You're now jobless with three children that you now have to figure out how to support because for all of this time, you've been dedicated to solely doing the house duties.

Finding a well-paying job in this economy is tough. Businesses and corporations are looking for the best of the best. People that are equipped with a strong skill set and are ready to put in the work.

Unfortunately, because you didn't find it necessary to attend college and expand not only your mind, but your skills within your job field, you have nothing to exhibit all of your talents. Everything that you're capable of doing has no way of being proven or backed up.

Nearly a year ago I had a conversation with one of my friends' moms who is, in fact, a stay-at-home mom. She confided within me that if her husband were to ever leave, she wouldn't know what to do. Their entire relationship is based off of his ability to be the caretaker. She thoroughly encouraged me to continue on with my schooling and to eventually take off into my career path of choice. This conversation has stuck with me since. A grown woman flat out told me that if her husband were to ever leave, she truly wouldn't know what to do. Her job skills were low and she hadn't worked since she was a teenager. Not working for so long had created a sense of anxiety at the thought of working. From that moment forward, I wanted to make sure that I was never in this position.

Again, I would just like to reiterate that I am not bashing stay-at-home moms. I get it. Finding the balance between being a mom and working can be difficult. But find your groove. Be independent, not dependent. A marriage should be teamwork. Both partners working together cohesively to create an even playing field. No one person should be the sole bread winner in a relationship.

This is my opinion, and in no way, shape or form the right one. But I do feel strongly about this topic. Maybe it stems from the way I was raised. I was taught from a very young age that everything you want in life should be worked for. Nothing will ever be handed to you or fed from a silver spoon. Because of this, I find it sad that so many of my friends complain daily about working, school or even paying their bills. This is adulthood, this is life. This is all apart of the process.

You have the capability of giving yourself everything that you want, because what you put out, you will receive.