Mother's Day provides a welcomed opportunity to celebrate the beauty and the joy to be found in motherhood. Still, for many, it's a day that has the potential to pose a heavy burden, or resurrect waves of self-doubt and despair, especially when it comes to being a single mom.
No, I am not a single mother. But I am the adult daughter of a mother who operated as a single parent for the most difficult years of my upbringing on account of circumstances, and who made countless sacrifices for me every single day of her life, even when times were the toughest, and resources were beyond limited.
For these reasons I can say I've had an up close and personal look at what it takes to do it all, and I know good and well that the struggle is real. Trusting the struggle takes a lot of bravery, and even more heart.
And so, whether you have actively made a choice to carry on as a single mother, or it's become a necessity based on your individual circumstances, this Mother's Day, here is a message for every single mom out there.
You Are A Brave Warrior
The road that led you here no longer matters. The only road that matters is the one you are taking to move forward. This road includes both you and your children. The fact that you are on this road as a lone warrior is enough to make you a brave one.
This bravery means that you will fight to make the best for yourself and your children every day of the journey. It means that you have the courage and boldness to stand up and do so. Even if you don't recognize it, these character traits are harvested deep within you. They are always there, ready to serve you during times of doubt.
You Are A Complete Entity
You are the disciplinary. You are the fun-loving. You are the advice giver. You are the intent listener. You are the guide. You are the challenger. You are the diplomat. You are the caretaker. You are more than you could have ever imagined you would be.
Although you are one single being, you are not simply one being playing multiple parts. You are a being who has been made complete. The universe knows that you are a being who has what it takes to offer your children everything they need to succeed in life.
You Can (And You Will) Do It
While you may encounter situations or people in your life that make you feel as though you can't, know that you can do it. You can do anything you put your mind to, and raising a family just happens to be perhaps the most monumental example.
Still, part of believing and understanding that you can and will do it, is the willingness to accept help when it's offered, and needed. Accepting assistance that comes your way isn't a sign of weakness, but instead a sign of humility. Whether it's a stranger, friend or your own child offering you a helping hand, open up your hand to accept, and then take the opportunity to pay it forward to someone else who knows they can do it too.
You Are More Than Enough
"You are enough," is something you will tell your children day in and day out, throughout the entirety of their lives. But perhaps it is you who needs to hear and revisit this phrase the most. Write this down and read it every single morning so you never forget. On the days that you go to sleep feeling otherwise, may you wake knowing that you are enough for yourself, and you are enough for your children.
When your children grow up and look back on their childhood with you as their single mother, may they see someone who not only knew she was enough, but who instilled the same sense of self-love and self-worth in them, so that they not only know, but wholeheartedly believe, they are enough for the world.