So, after 20 years (yes, you read that right) of detours, meltdowns and a whole lot of becoming…… I finally walked across the stage and received my associate’s degree. And for some reason, the words just slip out of my mouth like a nervous reflex:
“It’s just my associates.”

But before I could finish downplaying it, people stopped me — friends, family, even casual acquaintances — and said something I’ll never forget:
“An accomplishment is an accomplishment. It doesn’t matter how long it took — you did it.”

And honestly, it felt so good to hear. Reassuring, validating, and like someone had just lifted this invisible weight of self-doubt I’d been carrying for years. Because we live in a world that sometimes makes you feel like if you’re not achieving on a fast track, you’re not doing enough. Or if you don’t have certain things by a certain age, you’re basically a bum. But truth is… Progress is progress, no matter the pace.

Now let me rewind a bit.

At 20, while most of my friends were away at college, late-night “study” groups, partying, and figuring out who they were, I was figuring out how to be a wife and a mother. My “freshman year” looked more like diaper changes, navigating marriage, and trying to be responsible for a life other than my own — before I even fully knew who I was. And when that marriage chapter closed and I became a single mom, the stakes got even higher.

There were nights I felt like I was sprinting in molasses. Trying to keep up with bills, work, motherhood, and somehow still hold onto my own dreams. There were long seasons where school had to take a backseat to life. And moments where I seriously questioned if I would ever get back to it.

But deep down, I knew I wasn’t done.

Over time, I learned that success doesn’t have to be loud or flashy. It can be slow, steady, and quiet. It can look like enrolling in one class at a time. It can look like doing homework at 1am after the kids are asleep or your busy day has ended. It can look like falling apart and pulling yourself together — over and over and over again.

That little degree? It’s not “just” anything. It’s years of growth, grit, discipline, and healing. It’s maturity earned the hard way. It’s me becoming someone I’m proud of and someone my kids can look up to. Because in my home, we celebrate effort. We celebrate perseverance. We celebrate finishing what you started, no matter how long it takes.

So yeah, it’s not “just my associates”, it’s a symbol of every obstacle I overcame to get here. And every time someone reminded me that my journey matters, that my win counts, I felt seen.

To anyone out there feeling like they’re behind: you’re not. You’re on your own timeline. And trust me, when you cross that finish line (whatever yours may look like), it’ll be well worth it.