Moms. Our first teachers. It's not an easy job, yet I find it so inspiring that many moms can handle anything that comes their way, especially young moms and single moms.

Young moms are moms who married young, and single moms are moms who raised their kids on their own.

I'm not a mom yet, but I have many friends my age who are, and I have great respect for them because they had to persevere a lot to raise their children. Single moms and young moms work hard to put food on the table every day and go through the same stages with their children.

Without a father around much, many of these parents take on both roles. They work multiple jobs and some go to school part-time while caring for their kids. It's inspiring to see them thrive and strive for their future and at the same time, advocate for their kids' future.

Several of my friends fall into one of the two categories and they have gone on to accomplish amazing things. One of my friends from high school has her son at 17 years old and has gone on to nursing school. She married, had another kid, and is now working at a hospital. Her husband is also a nurse and both of them divide their time caring for their kids. One other high school friend also had her kid young and went on to marry and complete her college degree. Another friend left her abusive partner and raised her son alone. All of them are examples of perseverance.

So here's to all the single moms and the young moms who did it all for their children. Keep being strong. Keep investing in your future and your children's future. I'm rooting for you all.