A Conversation With Mom

By: Breanna Sanders

MTN Lifestyle & Entertainment Reporter

For women’s history month I wanted to celebrate those who I believe are some of the most important women in most of our lives- our mothers. Though Mother’s Day is not until May (go ahead and mark your calendars) I think it is important to celebrate moms as often as possible. Young moms, single mothers, stay-at-home moms, and moms from all walks of life should be celebrated. (Photo above: Family photo with Johnna, Chris, Amanda, Breanna, and her three grandchildren Brysen, Tylen, and Kaysen.)

It would be impossible to talk to every mom, but the least I could do was talk to the mom I know best, my own. Below is a conversation I had with my mom recently about the reality of being a young and single mom, having a child at 16 versus having a child at 37, and the joys of motherhood among other things.

(Photo to the right: Amanda and Chris, 1996.)

Before you listen:

My mom, Johnna McVay Strauser was born in 1963 and grew up in Trenton, a small rural town in West Tennessee. She had her first child, Chris Strauser in 1979 at the age of 16. Two years later she would have Amanda ‘Mandi’ Strauser.

(Photo to the left: Johnna and her ex-husband Joe Strauser with Chris and Amanda, 1981.)

It would be impossible to talk to every mom, but the least I could do was talk to the mom I know best, my own. Below is a conversation I had with my mom recently about the reality of being a young and single mom, having a child at 16 versus having a child at 37, and the joys of motherhood among other things. (Photo to the right: Amanda and her sister Breanna, 2001.)