Ale Vidal: Babies & Children: Khatim

I was staring at the bathroom mirror, age 7, with my towel wrapped around my skinny little body after a bath. My mom kept asking me something, but I was busy in my own little world and I, annoyed, mouthed some smart remark back at her. Oops. She yanked the towel, but right as she yanked it, the tail end of it snapped and whipped me. Yep, like you do to your little cousin with a kitchen towel when you try to snap him on the leg or the butt. Except it was on my bare little body. I let out a SCREAM, the sting on my back, and my hot tears making a mess of my face. Through the tears I stared at the mirror and caught my mom's reflection. She was crying too...

I was raised by a single mother. It wasn't until I got older, around college time, that I began to really understand the complexities of raising a child on your own. My mother had to be both a nurturer and disciplinarian. This is very difficult for both the parent and child because sometimes both traits just... clash. And sometimes, you simply mess up. My mom and I fought -- a lot. I had a sassy mouth and she had a short temper. One second she would be yelling, the next crying, and the next laughing. Despite the frustrating moments I had with my mother when she was heated, I came away with the most beautiful gift from her: freedom (to dream, to grow, to believe.. and so much more). I told her I wanted to make movies: she spoke about Oscars. I told her about wanting to act: she asked about NY. I tell her about my pictures: she just glows. I can be anything I want to be, because my mom has ALWAYS supported my dreams. She let me go. She let me fly. And coming from a Latin family -- believe me -- this means more than you may know. My mother has never, ever, put herself before her children. Seriously -- ever! For this and so much more, I will always admire her and why I admire Sonjacharde Mixon -- a sassy, independent, loving single mother.

Sonja is a young mother, but just like my own, her world revolves around child KT. She acts like people who love kids when they see a new baby "OH MY GOSH!! You are so freakin' cute!!" Except, she does this with HER child who she sees 24/7. He never gets old, and she always finds some piece of Khatim that she wants to eat up. Toes. Fingers. Eye lashes. We won't even talk about his stylish little-man clothes.

Anyway! Here is, who I like to call her little farmer -- Khatim :)