This has been irking me for some time. I need to vent...get it off my chest...complain...let go. I have plenty of ideas for positive and productive blogs, and in time I will get to them, but this is not one of them.
I've been a single parent for 5 years now. It has gotten easier over time, but make no mistake, it is a life-changing situation. I have friends, really good friends, who make the comment, "Husband/wife is outta town, so I'm a single parent this week." And the way in which they say it is kinda laughy/flip/woe-is-me. Really?!? Let me see...
Do you have someone to laugh with? Share with? Cry with? Do you share your children's joys and sorrows with your spouse? What about finances? Do you have someone to create a budget with? Do you have someone to decide where to take the family vacation this year? How about raising the kids? Do you not consult each other in times of trials? Rites of passages? College education? Or how about health issues? If your child breaks their arm -- who do you sit with in the waiting room, who gives you comfort? When/if you have a child diagnosed with a mental illness, cancer, or a learning disability -- who do you discuss options and paths of treatment with? At the end of a particular bad day, do you have someone who can "take over" so you can seek silence and quiet reflection? When you are one person and three kids need to get to activities, you feel bad asking so-and-so's parent again for a ride for your child (trust me, you do).
So, please, try and think about how it would affect you if you really were a single parent. I know, being by yourself for a few days, weeks, even months might seem daunting, but at least you have a soundboard, even if just a phone call, email, or text away.
