Am I A Mentor? I Suppose I Am….

I never thought I would see the day that I would become a mentor before I had kids of my own.

I didn’t think I was worthy of being a mentor. Why you ask?

Simply because I didn’t think I had it in me. It sounded like a full time job that I wasn’t ready for.

I would ask myself, how can I be a mentor to someone when I don’t have my own life together?

I was about 15 when I thought about this. I saw many people with mentors around me.

I knew I wanted one….but did I want to be one? No not really.

Until…….

2014! Yes last year!  It happened on it’s own! Upon my re-arrival back in NYC….Yay Home! I revisited these two beautiful little girls that I haven’t seen in about 3 years. They are sisters as well. It feels good to see them again. No they aren’t mine!

They are awesome, although I must admit sometimes they are too much to handle! Geez. Haha But seriously? What kid isn’t? Annoyance is apart of every child’s vocabulary.

I enjoy the laughs though. Kids are the cutest beings on the planet.

I guess I should mention that they are 4 and 10.

I love them to death…..for real!

I see myself as a regular human being, making it throughout my days/weeks.

One day the 10 year old started asking me questions such as “Hey Karen…When you were younger, did you have technology?” Of course I told her “no and I prefer it that way because I learned so much”

She also asked “What’s junior high school like? Is it easy? How about High school? Was college hard?”

Whoa! So much pressure girl! I barely remember JHS, but from what I can collect, it was pretty fun and easy.

Times have changed. I told her that each level of school gets challenging, but I don’t see why you can’t make it through each of them.

I realized that perhaps she was asking because she wants to be just like me. I have a child that admires me for what I do.

Oops! Let me add that I help her with ELA homework! FREE of charge :). (Project 10 coming by the summer: my collab with a 10 year old ;D) I enjoy writing stories, especially with her. She has a vivid imagination.

The 4 year old warms my soul every time I see her and she squeals “Karreeennnnn!!” as she runs up to me for a hug. She’s such a spoiled doll! I pick her up for a big hug as she is so pretty and so small.

Don’t worry, the 10 year old gets her big hugs too, but I can’t lift her…she’s already life size.

Man, do I love when they run up to me and give me group hugs and big hugs. Now that’s how I want my children to be when I have them. Love me as much as I love you! (Perhaps I should write a letter to my future children? Hmmm hehe)

I play games with these girls, watch movies, sing, dance, HW help, and more!

I appreciate the fact that they look up to me! No one has ever done that before. I NOW know that I am worthy of being admired by two small innocent faces with bright smiles and big hearts. I can accept that when I help them with HW, it doesn’t get taken for granted. This feeling is a nice feeling. They may not say “Hey Karen, we look up to you,” but I feel it with every bone in my body.

We are basically family! They call me their “BFF” daily. Soooo cute!!

I am just not ready to talk about boys! But I have time before that topic comes up!

As a mentor, I always stay positive and show them what’s right from wrong. Always lead by example.

Being a mentor has made my life better as this is what I needed because 2014 had its lows. I am forever grateful for them.

Before I became a mentor, I had about 3 of them. One of them passed away. R.I.P. She was a wonderful professor.

The other one faded as I graduated. The last one is still around. She was my academic advisor. She helped me through all my tough times in school and with my relationship. I cried, laughed, and asked for advice all in her office. She was a great listener. She was also a professor of one of my classes. She was and is a passionate person and anyone can see that just from meeting her. If I didn’t have to leave the state, I would definitely still be in her office visiting just because.

I guess I have one more? She’s one of my best friends. She’s a little older than me, but beautiful as ever! We’ve been through classes together, tears and heartaches, smiles and laughter. She’s my girl! No not like that! She’s my best friend and I miss her very much! She helps me stay focused and see all parts of life. I couldn’t do it without her.

So I had 3 and ended up with 2. Haha, it happens. My mentors helped me understand how to mentor.

I should sign up for a mentorship program.

If you know a mentor or have one, I hope you thank them someday!

I really like this quote too: