At 32, I Am a Mother, a Mother-in-law, and a Woman Starting Over
Author: Alisa Tan
Shepreneur : Makeup Artist & Model Trainer
Professional : Alisa Tan Makeup & Modeling
At 14, when other girls were still chasing their dreams, I had already become a mother. It was a mistake born from youthful ignorance. Married life was filled with constant quarrels. He refused to take responsibility for the family, while I kept enduring until a car accident left him in a coma for two months, his life hanging by a thread.
Doctors advised me to give up, but I chose to fight. I transferred him to another hospital, borrowed money, left my work, and stayed by his side day and night. He eventually woke up, and I accompanied him through six months of rehabilitation until he could walk again. I thought it was all worth it, but years of struggle had already broken me. In the end, I chose divorce, leaving with nothing but my children.
Not long after returning to my parents’ home, I moved out with my two children to live independently. Both of my sons dropped out of school during secondary years and entered the workforce. I worked tirelessly to provide, suppressing my tears, and finally realized: even the strongest mother has moments she cannot carry everything.
Then I met my current husband, a man who truly accepted me. He not only loved me but also treated my children as his own, willing to build a new life with me.
Just as we were preparing to marry, my 18 year old son suddenly said: “Mom, I want to get married too.”
That year, I was only 32.
I was about to become both a bride and a mother-in-law at the same time.
Even more unexpectedly, I was pregnant again. Yes, my third child would be born the same year as my grandchild.
Life may be absurd yet real, but I have finally learned to face it with a smile.
I am not a failed mother
I am a woman starting over.