The miracle (and pain) of childbirth plus Beyoncé’s "Run the World" together make a dynamic combination that gives mothers an edge over fathers when their special day rolls around. In my case, along with several other daughters and sons, my father isn’t present in my life. And for the brief time that he was, all hell broke loose. Being raised by a single mother gives you a whole new perspective on life because you see firsthand the sacrifices they make for you and/or your siblings.
I can always tell when the question will be popped by the way such a person calls out my name. What question am I referring to ... "So, um ... where’s your father exactly?" The answer I compare to the timeless game "Where’s Waldo." Like Waldo, he’s around and you can turn looking for him into a game, but soon you’ll find out that it’s not fun to play at all. At times, having one parent is tough because you lose the luxury of a dual support system at home — such as securing a ride to an after-school function or having a granted fan present at your games.
Looking back at those times, yes, I wasn’t able to participate in events like the daddy-daughter dances, but what I do have is an incredible mother who I know constantly looks out for me and my best interest, even though we bump heads once or twice a minute.
One plus one equals two, but when one is taken away from your assumed two, you gain a whole new level of appreciation for that one left over. That analogy applies to a single-parent household. Having one parent taken away leaves a great amount of room for taking advantage of them for always being there, loving and supporting you.
This Father’s Day, and each one following, don’t hold a grudge against your father. Instead, appreciate the amazing mother in front of you who wears and juggles so many hats of responsibility. It’s cliché, I know, but everything happens for a reason in your life. Granted, it might take some or a lot of time to let that sink in, but one day it’ll be clear as to why your father isn’t active in your life.
I recently graduated high school (woohoo!) and my family kept sharing with me various stories from my past that made me who I am today. One of those stories came from my mom who said that my kindergarten teacher Mrs. Queen paid her the highest compliment. She said that I was one of the most adjusted children in the class compared to children coming from two-parent households. The outpouring of stories like that fueled me even more so to continue to thrive and do well. Statistics for single-parent children aren’t the greatest (don’t let this encourage you to look it up if you haven’t done so prior), but myself and countless others tend to diverge from that stereotypical narrative and look onto each day with the thought in mind of reaching our goals and becoming the best version of ourselves.
