Jazman Everett, 37  year-old mother of three, shares how much of a struggle it was becoming a young mother. Through the trials and tribulations she didn’t give up. She reflects on the obstacles and decisions throughout her life and regrets nothing. She views any mistakes that she has made as a learning lesson. This is what helps her to become the strong mother and woman she has become today.

TRANSCRIPT:

Jaylah Everett: If you could relive one day of your life over again exactly as you are what day would you choose?

Jazman Everett: I would never relive my life.

Jaylah E: Why?

Jazman E: Because I’ve learned from mistakes that I’ve made and I actually like the way my life went.

Jaylah E: What is one of the hardest choices you’ve had to make?

Jazman E: The hardest choice I’ve had to make?

Jaylah E: Yeah.

Jazman E: The hardest choice I’ve had to make, let’s see, I guess becoming a young mother was one of the hardest choices.

Jaylah E: If you could’ve done something entirely different career-wise what would you have done?

Jazman E: I would’ve finished school and made a career before having children.

Jaylah E: What has been the best and worst parts about getting older?

Jazman E: The best part is wisdom, learning and also being able to teach people.

Jaylah E: What’s the worst part?

Jazman E: The worst part of becoming older?

Jaylah E: Yeah.

Jazman E: [laughs] Health, you know, health.

Jaylah E: Like old age? Like just-

Jazman E: Now don’t get it twisted, not old age now, it’s just, you know what, going back, I would actually change- now that you asked that question, I would change the way I maybe ate or like- cause I was active when I was younger but the worst thing is, just like the- I guess I wouldn’t say growing pains but it would be like physical, physically-

Jaylah E: What do you mean physical?

Jazman E: Like when you get older if you didn’t take care of yourself too good, when you get older you kinda regret things as far as health and your physical body, I think that’s the worst thing, the unknown.

Jaylah E: Unknown health issues?

Jazman E: Mhm.

Jaylah E: When have you felt the most alive in life?

Jazman E: My most alive is seeing my kids happy.

Jaylah E: Is there anything you regret doing or not learning?

Jazman E: That’s it. I regret not knowing how- and I think it had a lot to do with culture, like the way our culture eats, or the way our culture I think-[unaudable].

Jaylah E: Raises, like, their kids.

Jazman E: Like-

Jaylah E: Raises us like the way they’re taught to raise us, then we raise our kids like that.

Jazman E: Yeah it’s like a cycle type thing.

Jaylah E: A passed-down thing through generations.

Jazman E: Yea.

Jaylah E: What’s something you’re proud of yourself for?

Jazman E: I’m proud of the beautiful children I raised.

Jaylah E: Is there anything you wish you wouldn’t have worried so much about?

Jazman E: I [Inaudible] I worry about letting go of my children, so just now experiencing a child go to college and the worries, but I was raised to the saying, “If you’re gonna worry don’t pray, if you’re gonna pray don’t worry” and I think the way I was raised with the spiritual, that I was raised with and the beliefs I was raised with, is one thing that kept me stronger.

Jaylah E: What were you like as a teenager?

Jazman E: As a teenager I wouldn’t say I was wild, I think I was pretty good actually.

Jaylah E: Would you say that-

Jazman E: I was respectful.

Jaylah E: Would you say that you that you blended in with people a lot, like people knew you like, liked your personality?

Jazman E: Yes, I think I was well liked-

Jaylah E: Well known? You were well known?

Jazman E: Yea, I had plenty of friends, I wasn’t popular, but I had plenty of friends.

Jaylah E: What were you like as a child? Were you the same way or did you like-?

Jazman E: As a child I was a social butterfly.

Jaylah E: So, you talked to a lot of people?

Jazman E: Yes.

Jaylah E: Have you ever had any funny of meaningful encounters with a stranger that you will always remember? Like an encounter with a stranger that you remember from a long time ago. or not too long ago but it was like a weird encounter.

Jazman E: The only weird encounter I had was when my daughter who had no filter would say certain things to people and the one thing is remember is meeting someone at a- at a burger stand and my daughter asked him about his eyes, and she asked him what was wrong with his eyes and he said, “What do you mean?”  and then my daughter says, “Why is one eye going this way and the other eye going this way?” And I was shocked and he- [laughs] and he was actually okay with it because he explained to me how my daughter was very observant so then I was at a full-on relief that he understood she meant no harm; she just was a very honest and unfiltered child.

Jaylah E: [Laughs] What is your happiest childhood memory?

Jazman E: My happiest childhood memory would be with my late grandfather; mornings with him and him making us pancakes but he would call them “hot cakes” and we would- me, him, and one of my cousins would actually pour orange juice to see who would shake poring the orange juice and who wouldn’t shake pouring the orange juice and that’s one big memory that I- that stuck with me.

Jaylah E: What did you admire most about your parents?

Jazman E: The thing I most admire about my parents is that they care for me and my brother very much; we never went without even when it was a struggle, we never went without- they were hard working; and no matter what they never gave up on us, even becoming a young teen mother I thought that-

Jaylah E: They would’ve gave up on you?

Jazman E: Yea I thought that was it because I- to me I felt like I disappointed them but when coming out to them it was more like “we were there for you, we got your back but, only one child” while I was staying with them.

Jaylah E: So, did you move out once you had me? Or you moved out before that?

Jazman E: I moved out before I had my second child.

Jaylah E: So, were you pregnant with me when you moved out?

Jazman E: Nope, I respected their wishes, and I moved out.

Jaylah E: So, you planned to have me?

Jazman E: No.

Jaylah E: Oh, so it just all happened? Like-

Jazman E: Your dad set me up.

Jaylah E: What has your religious journey been like?

Jazman E: What do you mean?

Jaylah E: Like your spiritual journey, what has it been like?

Jazman E: Amazing.

Jaylah E: What do you like about yourself?

Jazman E: I like that I love people.

Jaylah E: So you’re a people person?

Jazman E: Yea.

Jaylah E: Have you ever done-

Jazman E: I like that I can- even when it’s hard I like the fact that I can still view things from another person’s perspective, I can put myself in other people’s shoes.

Jaylah E: Like see what other people mean?

Jazman E: No, like as if whatever they’re going through, how I may feel if I was in their predicament.

Jaylah E: Have you ever done something that you thought you would never do?

Jazman E: Yea [laughs] becoming a teen mother, I never thought I would do it.

Jayah E: What were the best and worse parts about being a teen mother?

Jazman E: Well the best part is having a beautiful and healthy child, the worse part is-

Jaylah E: Having to learn?

Jazman E: No- well yeah it was tough having to learn to be able to take care of another human being but the part is I don’t regret anything of it.

Jaylah E: What are the best and worse parts now that your kids are older, like now that we are older?

Jazman E: The best part is- wait the best part that you guys are older?

Jaylah E: Yeah like seeing us get older and grow up.

Jazman E: The best part is that my kids can come and talk to me about anything and that we have this strong relationship and I can always be honest no matter how much it hurts them or me.

Jaylah E: If you were randomly given three days off of work how would you spend those three days?

Jazman E: With my children without a doubt.