EVERY TEENAGE GIRL dreams of Prince Charming sweeping her off her feet with a sparkling diamond ring and living happily ever after. Well, according to Disney, that is what should happen when they meet their true love. However, love is not a childhood fantasy and it took Keshiann Morris 18 years to truly understand the meaning of love and experience genuine love.
Now she is fixated on her dream of being a sought-after make-up artist.
Keshiann Morris is a 35-year-old mother of five, who as a teenager was fixated on the concept of love based on a fairy-tale fantasy. She chased after it, became a teenage mother at 17 and was unable to graduate from St James Secondary School. Her pregnancy was a very daunting experience. She had to deal with piercing eyes, finger pointing and harsh judgement from society that looked down on her with shame.
“It was life-changing. I was not just a teenager but a teenage mummy. I had to grow up really fast and accept what was happening around me, suck it up and be a woman,” she said.
Although her mother Christine Morris was upset when she found out Keshiann was with child, Christine supported her daughter in any way she could.
“Whether or not parents are upset about teenage pregnancy they are concerned about being grandparents,” she said.
“I got tremendous support from my mum and my son’s [Zavia Trotman] other grandma Sandra. She actually took in little Zavia because at that time I was working at a call centre and I finished work at 10 p.m. She did not like the idea of me getting home late and taking care of the baby so he has been living with her for the past 17 years. She played a vital role in raising him to be the young man he is today.
Keshiann tried at true love again but unfortunately it did not work out. As she told her story she got very emotional and could not help bursting into tears.
She got pregnant with her second son Zachary Morris when she was 23.
“Honestly I was not settled and the same situation occurred again. Zachary stayed with his father’s mother. Shortly afterwards I got pregnant again. I got another son, Enrique Morris, now nine years old and then I got my first daughter Jamis Morris, now seven.
“At that point my life was extremely rough. It was not as hunky-dory as people say it would be. When you think you find that ‘love’ and it does not work out all you could do is press on.
“It was really tough for me. My mum still gave me her support but as a single parent I was alone. I started attending the Bank Hall Nazarene Church and there I met a great friend, Kathy-Ann Williams and I was able to pick back up myself.
“Church helped me to focus on me. I was worship leading and I started to enjoy my life. Yes I had downfalls still but the encouragement from Kathy-Ann, the pastors and my best friend Carrison Mayers kept me going and I was positive.
Keke’s life drastically started to change when she started attending church. She was able to let go of the pain of her previous relationships and focus more on her self-development.
“Kathy-Ann and Carrison really helped me during this period. There were days when I did not even know what to do and Kathy-Ann picked up the children and I and took us to her house, gave us a meal and watched the children so I could rest.”
“At first I was concerned that I depended on Kathy-Ann and Carrison too heavily but they said, ‘Keke, stop worrying about dependency. Why do you always think you bug people by asking for help’. So I feel that is one of my biggest downfalls, instead of asking for help first I think that I can handle situations on my own and I try and try by myself and when they escalate I ask for help at the last minute.”
Keshiann never gave up on true love after several years of searching for Mr Right. She feels she has finally found him.
“I met my current boyfriend at church and for the first time in my life I am now experiencing how a guy suppose to treat a woman and he has shown me how a man suppose to father his children. My father did not play an active role in my life and seeing how he treats our 16-month-old baby boy Keshmar Holder-Callender and my two younger children makes me feel he is heaven-sent.”
Her boyfriend Jamar Holder-Callender encouraged her to go after her dream to be a make-up artist. So far, she has completed her beginner’s course at REI Academy and currently she is taking advanced classes at Barbados Make-Up Studios.
“I did not even know where I was going to source the money to start the advanced class. But the owner Patricia Forde told me that I have tremendous potential and that encouraged me to work harder to make the first down payment. Right now Jamar, Carrison, Kathy-Ann and my mum are contributing and helping me to make the deadlines of the other down payments.
“I remember when I was praying for a breakthrough and to see that 2016 so far has proven to be my year feels so good. I was able to accomplish so much and stop myself from going into a state of depression. I was also able to start my own company named Lady K.
“I want that when the time comes for my children to tell their children stories about their grandmother, I want them to tell them how hard grandma worked to accomplish her goals. I want them to see that by the grace of God you can from the bottom to the top. That is why I always preach to them that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” she said.
