Notes from a Fellow Traveler…To Those Who are Single Parents

To Those Who are Single Parents:

First things first…you are brave. 

Never forget just how much.

No matter your circumstances, every day you don the cloak of courage and move forward to do what needs to be done. 

Shrug off outsider voices who have no stake in the lives of your family.

Listen only to those you trust…those who have invested in your life and the lives of your children, your well being, your future.

And listen to yourself…especially yourself. 

Trust your own instincts.

Your own good health is critical, so try hard to make yourself a priority.

Write things down.

Write the golden moments down somewhere.

You will be glad you did, 10, 20, 50 years from now. You will have given yourself a gift that gets better every year.

Write the hard knock moments down too.  

You will come back to those and see how much victory you had over them.  You will finally be able to give yourself some credit for all your hard won moments as a parent.

Build a village of trusted adults who can help or give insight along the way.  

Every parent needs this…not just single parents. 

Every parent will benefit from a village of people who genuinely care and share in the growth of your child…all the way to graduation and beyond.  

No kidding…you need them that long.

Parenthood during your child’s adult years is not as easy as it may sound.

It takes a while to find your footing in this phase of life.

For some of us, this was the hardest stage of all…the letting go stage.

Give your child the generational gift of unconditional love!  

That is the best gift you can give.

Everything you are doing, you are doing for love…pure, unconditional, stand-up love!

God has knit the soul of your child in a beautiful way…ready to receive the golden gifts you have to offer.

Trust in God. Rely fully on Him and the village you have built. 

And although it may feel like it for a while, you are not alone.