Donna Smith and her husband Dwight are parents to two children, Dominick and Dani, but her extended family keeps getting larger by the day.
Smith, who runs the Ritual Coffee House located on Constant Spring Road, has more than her share of ‘children’ who drop by, needing her tender administration.
In an interview with Freedom Come Rain, she said she has lost count of the times she has had to find time to sit with a child and just listen to them.
“Sometimes they come in the establishment and they just want to talk. I can’t turn them away because I can see they are going through stuff and need a friendly ear,” Donna explained.
There are those times too that she has had to turn a blind eye to her budget and give them a warm meal, as the pleading looks in their eyes are more than she can deal with.
“It’s not just children; sometimes street people come by, and the Christian in me cannot ignore their plight. I always say that the Lord will provide. My husband knows that I am a sucker for anyone in need, so he just says, ‘God will bless back the business,” she shared with a chuckle.
Speaking of mothering, Donna said the job has not come without its challenges, as she struggled with creating her ‘me time,’ which ultimately she finds helps them to be a family.
Commenting on her family life, Donna informed that she cultivated a relationship with children by bonding through “mom and son dates” as well as “mom and daughter dates.”
“That time is carved out for just us. We go on dates, eat together, and just talk, walk, or shop for that one thing that he or she needs. We catch up and check in with each other,” Donna revealed.
With the care that was placed in their upbringing, Donna said she wants them to value that, and for that reason, she has assigned a Bible verse to each of them.
Her son Dom’s Bible verse is “fear is not of God,” found in 2 Timothy 1:7, and her daughter Dani’s is “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13).
Expounding on the reason, Donna shared that she wants them to know their worth and to know that with God in their corner, they can smile at storms.
“Over the years, I made the conscious decision to switch from the traditional 9-5 corporate job to becoming a businesswoman. It creates more time for family,” she noted.
For other mothers who have the difficult job of balancing a job or a business while raising a family, Donna advises that, although they may be rushed for time, they should resist the urge to leave the children up to gadgets. Instead, play board games as a family as the gadgets are big distractions.