Veronica Morin: Story Shoot 2015 Edition #2

 

Who are you & Where are you from?

 According to my sons, I am a living human mammal mom. 

My name is Veronica Morin I am, firstly, a mom. I am Cree from Big River Reserve. I am also a military widow of the U.S. Army. I spent the first part if my life growing up in P.A. before moving to the reserve during my teen years, all while being raised by single parents. I’ve lived in the states for six years before moving home.

Why did you want to participate in the Story Shoot?

 I wanted to participate in this project because I feel the need to support anything that’s emulates a positive message toward our youth.

 What is a defining moment that challenged you and made you a stronger person?

A defining “moment” in my life was when I became a single parenting widow. I had no choice but to learn to keep myself alive for the sake of my children. That challenge had taught me that I cannot do anything without relying on a higher power first before anything else because I couldn’t always rely on people who meant well. I had to learn who this new person was. I no longer carried the invisible title or job as a military spouse, but I was still mom. I felt I had just joined the ranks among the statistics of being a single parenting aboriginal woman…in Saskatoon, Canada. Still invisible, yet visible in a negative light. Trying to normalize my life I went back to university pursuing a social work degree and learned even more about my ugly self and where I came from. I was very negative and trusted no one at all. I saw how the negativity was destroying my world and my mind but I think that helped in process of building my character.

How were you able to overcome adversity and what did it teach you about yourself?

 I learned how impossible and unnecessary it is to help people change for the better if they don’t really want to change. I needed to know and love myself before I could love anybody else the right way. I need to feel confident in myself so I can do a better job at whatever I am doing. For the first time in my adult life, I have experienced how good it feels to eliminate toxic people from my life, while taking the risk to make new friends that suit my positive aspects. How true it is that “birds of a feather flock together” we really do become what we surround ourselves with. I learned how I am unique and to be happy with that even if it means standing alone. I realized my relationships are becoming better with my kids, my family and friends because of the positive changes I chose to make. I never knew what an impact I had on the future just by being a mom struggling to raise my sons to be productive strong (in every aspect of the word) aboriginal men. I’ve also learned that even if I fail at something, there are always opportunities to forgive myself and try again or just keep moving forward. I am a fighter, I am resilient and I don’t believe in giving up on life. 

 

What would you tell a younger version of yourself today?

To the younger version of myself I would say do what you have to do to get through the tough moments but “never ever doubt your faith no matter what”…the world is not going to stop turning…