One of the greatest challenges I’ve faced was overcoming the pain of rejection—first from my father and later from my daughter's father. That pain made me question my worth, and as a result, I struggled to give my daughter the best version of myself. I carried anger, guilt, and a deep sense of unworthiness. Growing up with a single mother, I found myself repeating the same path, believing that love was out of reach and struggling to relate to God as a father because my perception of fatherhood was so deeply distorted.

It took years of self-reflection and healing to learn to love myself—first through acceptance, then by genuinely embracing who I am.

Through it all, my mother’s words became a guiding light: “You can achieve in spite of your parents.” She reminded me that I am valuable simply because I exist, that I was created with dignity and purpose.