I hope you all are having a great start to the new year! A few months ago in the beginning of the summer an extraordinary woman was nominated for a feature. Today I am honored to introduce you all to Gloria Cruz! Gloria was nominated for the impressive life she has led and I am here to share it with you!
Gloria was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico where she lived with her parents until the age of 12 when both her parents passed away within only 1 year of each other. After her parents passed Gloria’s two younger sisters were taken in by family, however Gloria was sent to live in a convent. It was here that she met her husband. They got married young and fast, Gloria explained that it was her only way out of the convent.
She was 17 when she got married and by the time she was 21, she had 2 kids and was on her way to the US. During the conversation, I couldn’t imagine having 2 young kids ( 2 years old & 2 months old) and having to relocate to a brand new place. By 27, with 5 kids, and only 6 years after moving to a new country her and her then husband divorced. However, when asked Gloria explained that the hardest part of navigating a new country by herself with children was having to learn english.
Having raised 5 successful children on her own, I asked her if she had any advice for young moms. The first thing she said was to put the children first. Lisa, her youngest daughter who was with us for the interview, agreed that her mom always thought of her children first. She always remembers feeling as though her and her siblings were the center of their mother's world. Gloria conveyed that her children served as a daily inspiration, motivating her to persevere and meet the challenges life presented.
Gloria is now referred to as Mima by her 8 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren. She is 87 years young and living with her entire family in Florida. She is so grateful to be a part of such a loving and supportive family!
With that being said, thank you all for reading! I hope Gloria has inspired you, as much as she has inspired me. If you think of someone who inspires you, nominate them to be featured next by sending me an email to iamwoman.www@gmail.com or sending me a DM on Instagram @iam.wwoman. Please be sure to show Gloria some love in the comments and have a wonderful rest of your day!
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