Melysa, letting loose & rocking to karaoke (Britney Spears Toxic)

I wanted to share with you the winning story of the Paint Your Life Pink contest. Meet Melysa Schmitt, the proud owner of a new hot Pink Ipod. Melysa's courageous story brought our judges to their knees in deep Namaste bows. Please give her a big, Pink round of applause! YEAHHHH!!!!

Here's her story:

Three weeks ago, my son’s father decided he wanted to leave me. Truthfully, when I look back now, I realize he had left me a long time ago. But hearing him say the actual words initially crushed me. Aside from the blow to my self esteem, the thought of having to raise my son alone overwhelmed me. How would I feed him, take care of him? Where would we go? With no money saved and only a part time job to support us, I felt as if we could never survive.

After a few days of loathing and feeling sorry for myself, I began to face reality. When my mind was finally ready to picture myself as a single mother, all kinds of possibilities spread out before me. I could see my son and I in our own apartment, playing and laughing again. I envisioned myself as a strong and independent woman, perfectly capable of juggling a full time job and taking care of my child. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but sometimes the sweetest rewards are those that are the hardest to obtain.

The past two weeks I have spent regaining my strength by taking back control of my life, piece by piece. Each day I set a new goal for myself and work toward it. My son is my guide through my new journey as a single mom. Every step I take in building our new life is with his future in mind. Today I feel more empowered than I ever have before, knowing that I can live my life however I choose, raising my son however I see fit. There is no one else to answer to but me, and that is how I’m getting my mojo back.

Whoa, Mojo Mama! You got it goin' on, girlfriend. Great story, Melysa. Please Pinkies, send Melysa some Pink love and let her know she's always got our support here in our collective Pink Posse.

And thank you, Melysa, for your willingness to be vulnerable and to share your story. And thanks so much to all the other entrants who showed so much strength and mojo, putting themselves out there and being so Pink that our judges had a really tough time choosing. You are all winners in my book!

With love, congratulations, and absolute certainty that Melysa will be rockin' to her own Pink Playlist on her new Ipod,

Lissa & the Owning Pink judges

PS. To read more of Melysa Schmitt's writing, check out her articles on parenting.
 

Melysa, getting some love from her Pink Posse