This text conveys the voice of my dear friend of 25 years, who has been a single mom for over a year and a half. The transition from a two-parent family to a trio consisting of a mom and her two daughters—then aged 3 and 2—was a major challenge in terms of adjustment, in addition to requiring her to learn resilience and accept the reality of a father who was practically absent. It also meant accepting the fact that there are only 24 hours in a day and that a human being needs a minimum amount of sleep to be even somewhat functional.
To all the single moms who sometimes have to be both mother and father, you’re incredible. You’re on the go all day and wish the days were a few hours longer. All too often, we find you juggling two or three tasks at once. For example, we might see you folding clean clothes while your kids are in the bath to save time. You have plenty of little tricks to help you save precious minutes.
You may have noticed since your separation that meal prep can drag on forever as you juggle food and kids. All that effort, only to hear “Yuck!” or “I don’t like that, Mom!”
Many of you also haven’t enjoyed a nice bath with silence as your only companion. A friend of mine confided that she hasn’t taken a bath alone in over a year and a half. Since her separation, she’s been trying to take a quiet shower every night, but it never takes more than two minutes before she hears a little voice calling, “Mommy!”
There’s also one or more children in your bed at night. Every night, you hear little footsteps heading toward your bedroom. Even though these can sometimes be sweet moments, you still dream of a night’s sleep without interruption.
If you’ve been on your own since your separation, you might occasionally daydream about a movie-worthy romance or simply about finding love. Unfortunately, reality quickly sets in, and you tell yourself you don’t have time for a man in your already packed schedule!
Yet, even if you’re exhausted by the end of each day, you never regret all the sacrifices you’ve made. It’s just the two of you against the world…