Agnes and Kayleigh

On my way to Rochester I met a beautiful mother, daughter duo.  The mother was stopped at the rest stop taking a break from driving, standing outside the car. I walked out to my car after getting a latte, and thought I'd say, "Hi, where you heading?"  So I did...

She and her daughter (17) were traveling the Northeast looking at engineering colleges for her daughter.  The trip would be a wonderful memory of a lifetime for both of them.  Their home was Florida and although they like Florida, her daughter wanted to possibly go to school in a cooler climate. So the two were out visiting college campuses and exploring, cannot know unless you take a look.

The trip's focus was to check out colleges but the adventure of being on the road alone with your mother at this very impressionable age would be the best classroom of life teachings for her daughter before heading out into a world without her mother. Her mother, Agnes and I spoke of women, education, confidence, the world today, and how much the world has changed, how much we have changed from our own mothers.

Both of our mothers are fearful of the world and believe the  role of a woman is singular. Both of our mothers are fearful of us driving alone, especially traveling on the road for hours in the night in strange states.  But we both agree if you have triple A and a cell phone you can always get help. Agnes told me, "If worse comes to worse, I can change a tire myself!"

Many times daughters follow in their footsteps but sometimes daughters like Agnes and me take a different route.  This brave woman is currently an engineer working in a research center in Florida.  Previously living up north, one day she decided her life needed a change so she packed up her life in a car with her daughter and just drove to Florida to live. They have a great life there.  Women like this that devote the well being of the child first, seek to get the child educated and support the individual endeavors of the child, are the best type of parent to my way of thinking. 

Single mothers have always and will always have a special place in my heart.  For it is the parent, be it mom or dad, that stays with the child, raises the child, listens to the child's individual thoughts and supports the child's dream, that I believe make America great again.  It always starts in the home. It starts with the family.

Thankful to have met another woman that has heart, education, direction, and confidence.  Thanks Agnes for taking your time to share with me your story. Can hardly wait to hear what college Kayleigh chooses and if it is anywhere near Albany, NY, you can always stay with me in your travels, I'll keep a light on for you. 😉