It means jumping out of bed and having a routine in mind, although most of the time the routine goes out the window and "winging it" becomes an art form.
Being single mom means most mornings I am juggling everything from packing lunches, returning emails and phone calls, paying bills, feeding and walking the dog, starting a load of laundry, fussing with my daughters hair, chasing after a sleepy teenager, making sure my youngest has socks that match and making breakfast. It actually is very possible to do all these things at the same time!
It means I race home from work each evening to a messy house and three happy kids who run to the driveway and greet me. Cook supper, fold laundry, lay out clothes for the next day, go over homework, sign papers, pack book bags and drive the kids to activities are just of few of the things that keep me occupied during weeknights.
It means on alternating weekends I am home alone missing my children.
Being a single mom means that my memory becomes absent when it comes to finding or doing things for myself. However, when it comes to the individual daily needs of my children I am on top of my game. I know how to get three children to three different places at the same exact time without a single drop of sweat dropping from my brow. I know how to find that lost shoe or that lost Lego piece. I am quick to check homework or answer the tough questions that kids ask. Of course I run out of time when it concerns everything about me but I have all the time in the world when it concerns my children.
It means going to a job each day that isn't very exciting, but provides for my family.
It means taking night classes and squeezing in study time so that I can finally get that college degree and provide even better for my children.
Being a single mom means I always have to be one step ahead when it comes to my finances.
Being a single mom has taught me how to be silly, because laughter truly is the best medicine.
It means my Super Single Mom job description includes not only my very dull cubical dwelling job, but also chauffeur, teacher, nanny, pet sitter, maid, chef, personal accountant, secretary, personal body guard/chaperone, advocate, counselor, and nurse.
I have learned that sometimes there are very lonely nights and sometimes all I can do is have a good cry but I will always be fine with patience and persistence.
I have learned that my children need more than just me and the more people who love them the better regardless of past hurts or my own insecurities. There is no such thing as an evil step mother.
Being a single mom means that my life very seldom belongs to just me anymore because everywhere I go, my children go with me.
I've learned to never take for granted the few savoring moments of getting to do something just for me, because "me time" is so very rare. Yet somehow, it's worth every minute of my own sacrificed time when I know that my children are with me, even in the most trying and unpleasant times.
It means I've realized that I'm my children's sole source of dependence. They will always depend on me before anyone else. It means that I don't have anyone to ask for help. I am extra thankful for those in my life that I can depend on but I know ultimately I am on my own.
It means I have to be Mommy and Daddy in most cases. Which means I've had to learn how the opposite sex thinks and responds in most situations, and then try to combine the two together the best I can and use that knowledge when necessary. Star Wars, sports, girls, shaving, the birds and the bees are all areas that I am now an expert. I truly believe that as a single mom I am raising my boys to be awesome men and I am teaching my daughter how to be a strong woman.
It means that my whole world revolves around my three children. Everything I do, every breath I breathe is to make the best life possible for them. Each decision I make will affect them. Every minute I spend, with or without them, will affect them somehow. Every word I say, every tone I take, every place I go, every action I do or don't follow through with will, on some level, affect my children.Being a single mother means that I have to endure ignorant individuals who insist on giving me their unwanted advice and opinions. I have learned to not listen to them but to listen to my heart and the needs of my children.
Being a single mom has taught me how to turn away from those who turn their noses up at me.
And mostly, it means that I've come to a whole new level of understanding self reliance and sacrifice.
I believe that being a single parent has the potential to turn anyone into the best person they can be, if they have the selflessness, maturity, the thick skin, the determination and strength to handle it all with grace and dignity.
