Woman finds love and builds her family in the face of tragedy and we can only envy her inner strength

Life does not follow the same pattern for everyone. It is a mix of losses and gains as well as happy moments and tragedies. The story of Erica Bruce–who goes by @mrs.mommabruce on TikTok–reminds us that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Bruce shared a slideshow post on TikTok that has garnered over 24 million views since it was posted. She summarized all the important events of her life, starting from 2008 when she was sadly stood up by her date. "Whatever you are going through, don't give up. I promise it gets better," she captioned her post.

In the first slide, Bruce posted a picture of herself from 2008 after getting stood up. After that, her dad took her to his girlfriend's family dinner to cheer her up. That's where she met Larry, a cousin of her dad's girlfriend and the duo became inseparable ever since. They shared a mutual passion for traveling and took frequent trips together. In 2010, Larry proposed and she said yes. Life was picture-perfect for Bruce until tragedy struck, and she lost her sister just 6 weeks before her wedding. Then she had a big responsibility on her shoulder. Bruce had to take care of her sister's young daughters, July and A'lontay, as their father was in prison.

At 23 years old, Larry and Bruce got married and started their new family with the two young girls. She included a few pictures from July and A'lontay's first days at school and gushed at how the girls grew overnight and looked happier. Larry and Bruce continued traveling with the nieces as well. Bruce got another blow when she was diagnosed with PCOS and infertility. However, she was luckily conceived in October 2016. The couple's happiness was short-lived because the doctors told them about the multiple birth defects of the baby in her womb and encouraged them to end the pregnancy. But Bruce still gave birth and the infant Grayson only survived for 2 months. 

The couple did not give up their hopes of expanding their family, and she conceived her "rainbow baby" later. Surprisingly enough, A'lontay was also pregnant with her first child. Bruce gave birth to a girl named Queen Azaria on March 10, 2020, which was the exact date when Larry proposed her 10 years back. 3 months later, A'lontay had her son, Martayvion. Bruce included a picture of the girls sitting at the table and smiling with a picture of their late mother on display. She revealed that despite all the struggles, their journey continued and she is proud of how far the girls came. Next up, A'lontay is revealed to be thriving as a working mom of 2 kids, whereas July enrolled in a cosmetology school.

The final picture showed Larry, Bruce and their daughter smiling at their camera as they signed the papers to buy their new home. The comment section was gushing at how bravely Bruce tackled the hardships of her life and provided inspiration to others. @amersonn62 commended, "You and your family are a superscription of strength, determination and perseverance. God bless you, and thank you for sharing such a great story." @i.am.dondada wrote, "Thank you for sharing your beautiful story of triumph and loss. May God continue to bless you and your wonderful family as you inspire others to love." @kristenbetances29 added, "So beautiful, and it got me crying early in the morning. I don't like that."

You can follow Erica Bruce (@mrs.mommabruce) on TikTok for more videos on motherhood and lifestyle.