It Starts with the Parents

My name is Irma Walker born on April 21, 1957 at Sharkey County, Mississippi. My Maiden is Irma Mae Rodgers. I come from a big family, and I am the eighth child out of fifteen children. So you can imagine how my life has been. I became a mother before my time, because my mother needed my help. For instance, when you have a lot of sisters and brothers in the family, one person can't do it all. So my job was to help my mother and do what she told me to do. That's how I got my first experience of becoming a parent at a young age. As the year passed, I learned more about responsibilities and how to be a responsible parent. May 18, 1972, I was a young single mother with very little education living with my mother. My mother was having a hard time herself trying to support me and my siblings. My childhood was taken from me because I became a young mother before my time, with some guidance in my life. Back in those days, parents were struggling themselves. I had a set-back in my life, but I didn't give up. I believe in myself, and my children. I got my first job at the age of sixteen, so I can support my child. I'm so thankful that my mother didn't put me out on the streets. I worked and went to school at night. For a long time, I tried to get my G.E.D. but it was hard for me to continue. I had no experience in raising children but I made a difference in my life. I achieved some of my goals, now I am a writer. My life inspired me to write this story, "It Starts with the Parents".