From a Mother's Heart...

So last night, my daughter, Bella the actress, made her network debut on NBC's Chicago Fire.  A literal dream come true!  

To be honest with you, my family and I are still in disbelief.  It is surreal, to look up at the television while watching your favorite show and seeing your bright, beautiful, 15-year-old daughter living her dream in front of millions.

Make no mistake, this wasn't easy.  No one. No one, knows better than me the sacrifices and challenges that this young lady has had to make to get her to this point.  From countless hours of training, driving from Youngstown Ohio to Chicago Illinois (sometimes in the same day), to missing a week of school at a time, to doing homework in the car by the light of her cell phone, there have been many.  {So so many}...

Through all of this, I can tell you that Bella has remained humble and kind.  Those who know her, know that she doesn't have a mean bone in her body. She thinks of others first, smiles constantly, and prays for everyone.  She loves her family, adores her friends, and puts God first in everything she does. She would never do anything to deliberately hurt  or upset anyone, that I can promise you.

However, as I'm finding, in this business...it is tough.  It's tough on the mind, on the spirit, and on the heart.  Neither Bella nor I know everything, we are still learning, we will fall and though we may fail we will Rise Up and learn from our mistakes.

Failure in this business is to be expected, just like having a baby and raising a child there is no handbook.  You take the advice of others, you pray, and you do the best damn job you can.  As long as it you do it with no ill intentions, then you have nothing to be upset about or to apologize for.

As a mother, we always want our children to be safe and feel protected, whether it be from physical or emotional pain.  That is why my husband, my son and I do whatever it takes to support Bella and to always have her best interest at heart.

It is Bella's drive, determination and faith in God that keeps her grounded and grateful.  We know that Bella wouldn't be where she is if it weren't for the fact that my sister, (her aunt and fairy Godmother) hadn't introduced her to her amazing managers, Joe Borrasso and Lisa Morgan at MbM.  They believe in Bella and give her every opportunity they can to learn, grow, and to continue to develop into an amazing actress.

My husband, my son and I have also made extreme sacrifices, but we aren't in it for the glory…We give the glory to God!   We are in it because we believe in her.  We are all so extremely proud of Bella and and know that this it's just the beginning of an amazing career as an actress.

Too blessed to be stressed,