What if the hardest chapter of your life was actually the first page of your purpose? This episode stopped me in my tracks — because it reminded me that survival isn't the end of the story. It's just the beginning.

I had the honor of sitting down with two women who carry so much wisdom, so much grace, and so much real in one room — our very own Diana Kirk, founder and executive director of Divine Connections, and Lavata Haggard, who serves alongside us in this work.

Both became moms young. Diana at 12. Lavata at 19, newly married, and navigating a military deployment alone. Their stories couldn't look more different on the outside — but underneath, the threads are the same: loneliness, survival mode, generational patterns, and the slow, holy work of becoming.

This wasn't a conversation about what went wrong. It was a conversation about what's still possible — and I needed it just as much as I hope you do.

Key Themes + Takeaways

Your first child grows up with you — and that means they also witness your hardest seasons. Both Diana and Lavata reflect honestly on how their older children experienced a version of them that was still figuring it out, and how much that matters.

Survival mode is real, but it's not a destination. Working constantly can feel like love — but presence is what our kids remember. Slow down long enough to actually be there.

Mentorship can come from unexpected places. Diana's teen parent teacher. Lavata's church community. Neither looked like what they expected — and that's exactly the point.

You don't have to earn what you need. Resources, time, space to breathe — you don't have to rush out of them. Use them fully. That's what they're there for.

Finding your people is a practice. Go to the parenting class you don't want to go to. Show up at the library storytime. That's where like-minded women are waiting for you.

Advocacy is a skill you can learn — and if you can't do it alone yet, it's okay to bring someone with you just to be there. You don't have to fight every battle solo.

Nothing is wasted. Everything you've been through is a clue to what you're called to do — and who you're called to reach.

Our Favorite Quotes

”I was fueled by anger and wanting to prove people wrong. I got a thick skin — because if I hadn't, they would have taken me out a long time ago.” — Diana Kirk

”I chose me and my kids. I never wanted to be a single mom. But at the end of the day, I had to choose what was healthy for me and for my children.” — Lavata Haggard

”Purpose leaves clues. Everything you're going through right now is a clue to what you're called to do — and who you're called to.” — Diana Kirk

”Breathe, babe. Slow down. Take the classes, get the information. There's no hurry.” — Diana Kirk

”You've given birth at your age. You can do anything.” — Lavata Haggard

Chapter Markers

0:00 — Two Stories, One Table

3:38 — What We're Most Proud Of

5:51 — Your First Child Grows With You

11:46 — What Made You Believe You Could Do This

20:06 — Survival Mode, the Turning Point, and Letting Go

33:35 — The Loneliness Nobody Talks About

42:09 — Using Your Voice: Advocacy as a Teen Mom

47:10 — A Letter to Your Younger Self

Your Turn

This week's reflection prompt:

Where in your life have you been rushing — out of fear, out of habit, or because someone offered you something before you were ready? What would it look like to slow down and choose what you actually want?

🙌 Stay Connected + Keep the Conversation Going

Website: ⁠⁠https://www.divinekonnections.org/⁠⁠

Follow Deyona on Instagram:⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/divine_konnections_inc⁠ 

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