Dark Green Lettuce: A Story of Survival, Love, and Reinvention

When I was little, my mom used to serve me “dark green lettuce” in salads. I loved it—until a friend pointed out it was actually spinach. Turns out, Mom renamed it so I’d eat it. That small kindness echoed through our lives.

After my dad left, she raised me alone, working three jobs, never complaining. We didn’t have much, but she made dinners with laughter, renamed struggle as comfort, and never let me feel poor. Years later, when she broke her wrist and kept working through the pain, I knew I had to step up.

My design hustle became a business. I worked nonstop, and when success finally came, the first person I told was Mom. I bought her a café—the dream she never thought she could afford.

She named it Dark Green Lettuce.

It’s more than spinach. It’s survival. It’s the beauty in hardship. It’s what happens when quiet love meets relentless grit.

If you’ve ever softened hard truths just to survive—this story is for you.