LEANNA RYCE HAD a complicated life growing up. Beneath that smile lies heartache. But with her story, she doesn’t want to be a role model but an inspiration to others.
“I lost my mother when I was 15 years old,’ said the 25-year-old sales executive.
“I still miss her. There were times when I needed her so much,” said Leanna, solemnly.
Mostly Leanna needed her to be a grandmother to her five-year-old daughter Gabrielle Maynard, as well as a shoulder to lean on.
“Gabrielle is such a precocious child. She asks a lot of questions . . . . But she is a daddy’s girl.”
Leanna said growing up, life wasn’t easy for her.
“I got into a lot of trouble. When my mum passed I was with my dad and we had a complicated relationship after. Many times I moved out, came back home. We would argue. We couldn’t see eye to eye on certain issues.”
Leanna’s performance in school also suffered.
“I was at Springer Memorial at the time. My grades dropped horribly. My grandmother (mum’s mother) was living in Antigua and the decision was made to move there and live with her.”
Leanna stayed there for three years, attending school.
But she still was having issues.
“I wasn’t adjusting as well as I thought. So I came back to Barbados. I did some classes and then business studies at Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic.”
Leanna moved from job to job, doing some promotions for events, anything that would give her a salary to take care of herself.
“I was trying to make ends meet. I had so many jobs I cannot tell you how many and for how long.”
To Leanna, Gabrielle was a godsend when she needed some stability in her life.
Gabrielle was a planned pregnancy.
“Believe it or not my boyfriend at the time [Ross Maynard] and I were trying to get pregnant . . . even at that young age of 19. We were together from when I was 13.”
A missed period and a pregnancy test later confirmed the happy moment.
“I had a smooth pregnancy. People didn’t even know I was pregnant. I wore the same clothes until I started showing around seven months and I was pretty active.
“I was in labour for 16 hours and I went natural so you know I am going to remind Gabrielle of that later on in life,” she said, laughing.
She told her dad the good news.
“At that time I was living with my boyfriend. Dad was disappointed. He had plans for me, wanting me to finish university. He thought it was bad timing.”
Then she and Ross broke up.
“We had our moments where we couldn’t see eye to eye.”
Leanna landed a job at Sandy Lane and because of her hours she had to make a difficult decision.
“Gabrielle had to live with her dad. My hours as a receptionist were really long. So Ross and I agreed that it would be best she resided with him. I would visit her as much as I could . . . . It was a difficult period.
But Leanna had nothing but praises for Ross.
“Ross is an excellent father and puts 100 per cent. I believe that every child deserves a relationship with their father despite the relationship of both parents and I never denied Gabrielle that luxury and will never.”
But Leanna wanted to have more time with her daughter and be the mother she knew she could be.
She went job hunting. Now she is in a new job as a travel agent, which she got after responding to an ad.
“I don’t have any training but I am a people person. I love the hospitality field. I felt it would be a good opportunity and the hours was what I was looking for as well.”
Lady luck smiled on Leanna as the same day after leaving the interview she got a call she was hired.
That was in February of this year.
“Now I have time for Gabrielle, to see her grow into an amazing person. She is a bundle of energy. She goes to St Angela’s and is involved in swimming and dancing. She is very creative and into art.
“She loves ice cream, watching movies, going to the pool, playing dress up with my heels and make-up, getting her nails painted and baking cupcakes with me.”
Leanna said she is trying her best to be a good mother, as her mum was.
“My mum was an independent, strongheaded person. I see those traits in me. I know as a young girl where I went wrong. So while I am Gabrielle’s friend, I am also her mum.”
But on the flip side Leanna said she is a child whenever she is around her daughter: “Maybe because I am still so young myself. I act silly with her and we laugh at stupid jokes. I feel like I am five years old again.”
Leanna says she couldn’t do it all without a strong support system.
“Gabrielle and her granddad are inseparable. My grandmother [dad’s mum] has her sometimes and I see the same games that she used to play with me being played with Gabrielle.”
Leanna goes back to how great Ross is.
“Her dad plays a huge role in her life. Sometimes when people give me credit on how articulate she is and how disciplined she is, I tell them they have to give props to her dad as he pushes her in those ways.”
Leanna said that she has maintained a friendship with Ross.
“We manage to co-parent and do what’s best for Gabrielle despite our issues. We have known each other for 13 years and still try to maintain a friendship so that Gabrielle can be happy and look up to us as an example.”
Leanna, on the day of the interview was by her grandmother’s home in Clapham, St Michael.
“My grandmother wasn’t feeling well. She had surgery earlier on her leg so I came here last night to stay with her.”
Leanna said that that relationship was also topsy-turvy.
“When I was little my grandmother was my go-to person. She said yes while my mum said no. But now I am older things have changed. I will chalk it up to younger versus older generations having differing views. We clash sometimes but I love her very much . . . . I think she knows that.”
Leanna said she knows it is easy for girls to get lost and when it comes to discipline she says she and Ross don’t see eye to eye.
“He believes in lashes. I believe you can punish her in other ways . . . . Take away what her favourite toys are and let her know there are consequences.”
Leanna said she gets teary eyed when she has to scold her daughter but makes sure she knows why she is being punished.
“But I always tell her after I love her. She still wants that comfort and hug and kiss after.”
Leanna said years down the road she wants to see Gabrielle be the best she can be.
“I want her to be a responsible young lady. I really don’t want her to make the same mistakes I did. I made a lot of mistakes. I want her to be focused.”
Leanna said if she had to speak to her younger self her advice would be: “Listen to your parents. Most of the situations I found myself in was because I was strongheaded and thought I knew it all. So I would say take heed of older advice.” (NS)