Managing a Busy Life

in The Word is Text by

by Lisbeth Benavidez

My name is Liseth Benavidez. I am a full time student, full time employee, and a full time mother to a beautiful one year old. Her name is Luna Rae Valdez.

My daughter has been the greatest motivation to get me through school and work. I stress out at times, but I do have a great support system. My mother helps me out and so does my mother-in-law. Having someone to help you, especially when you are a first time mom, is very helpful and beneficial. I go to school four times a day. When I go to school, I drop my daughter off at my mom’s house. Many times, my mom is working or busy that I find someone else to watch her. I usually only go to school, then right after I go pick my daughter up, I go back home. I work five days out of the week. Sometimes I feel I do not spend enough time with my daughter but then again, everything I am doing now is for my daughters future. I want her to have everything In life, everything and anything she wishes for. 

I go to work Wednesday through Sunday. I am a full time employee. I work at a sushi restaurant as a waitress. I must maintain a smile in my face because I work with customers face to face. It is fun where I work because there I am able to make great connections with great people. Also, many of the people I work with are parents or students at CSUN, just like me. 

I always tend to miss my daughter throughout my shift. My daughter is the one person I can go to and look at, and all my stress goes away. When I go home to my daughter after school or after work, I take full advantage. I start playing with her. I read books to her. I feed her and change her. I nap with her. She is literally a mini me. I always tend to give her my full attention when  I am with her because I do not want her to ever feel like I do not love her or that I do not want to see her. When i found out I was pregnant, I felt my life was over because many people told me so. I cried at night thinking how am I going to raise this baby if I am just a teen. But with the love and help I received from everyone in my life, I made it. I do live with my boyfriend, so having him to hep me was a blessing.

My biggest fear was brining my baby into this world. Now that my daughter is  one year old, I am thankful and lucky. I do go to school and I work to make sure I have everything my daughter needs. My life changed in a better way. So for those who tell a pregnant girl that their life is over, is wrong! It is a new beginning and it is the most beautiful one. Watching my daughter grow has to be the most exciting yet sad things because you notice everything and they grow up way too fast. When she gave her first steps I began to cry cause I could not believe it. Now my daughter is running all over the house, getting everything, dropping everything and just being an energetic kid. I love my daughter to death and I will do anything and everything I need to do so that my daughter has a great future. 

The El Popo Newspaper was first published in 1970 by students concerned about the lack of a Chicana and Chicano perspective in newspapers. As a result, students called the newspaper, El Popo. The paper was named El Popo after the volcano El Popocatepetl. Involved in Chicana/o Movement of the 60’s and 70’s, students saw a connection between the smoke spewing volcano ready to erupt and the student movement ready to engage. Thus, throughout the El Popo’s forty-six years, the name continues to symbolize and to represent the spirit of each generation of students that contribute to the pages of the El Popo Newspaper. Faculty Advisor/Publisher George Sanchez, MA Carlos R. Guerrero, Ph.D., 1992-2021