I was a single mother who struggled to raise my son. Seeing him propose to his girlfriend felt like an achievement for both of us.

• As a single mother, my son's childhood wasn't an easy one, especially as he acted out.
• When he graduated high school, he met the love of his life, and they have been together ever since.
• Watching him propose felt like the end of tumultuous times and the beginning of a stable life.

Every mother dreams their child will be blissfully happy as an adult. I didn't realize that to be truly happy, my son Johnathan had to go through some difficult life trials first.