Dear Single Parent,
I know life hasn't been easy. Trust me. I see my mother work so hard each and every day to give my brother and me the best life possible. But I want to take the time to say thank you! I know society has this stigma to any single parent out there if you are under the "acceptable age" to be a single person with offspring. Whether people look at you with sympathy or disgust, you are always being judged. But I am not here to tell you the things you already know, I am here to tell you, from a child's perspective, why having a single parent is just as great, if not better, than having 2 parents.
1. You learn how to be strong and independent.
Seeing my mom raise my brother and I after my dad passed away, I learned how to grow up and be strong. I had a great example of a strong and independent woman. When my dad passed away, she could have just given up fighting, but instead, she got back up and didn't let life knock her down. She got out there, got a job, continued driving us everywhere, took us on the planned family vacation to Disney World, and everything else we had to continue doing to keep normalcy in life.
2. They become your BEST friend.
Let's face it, how many of us can say we actually rather spend time with our parents, maybe even more than our best of friends? I genuinely can say I would give up a night at out on the town to spend a night in with my mother. Don't get me wrong, I love hanging out with my friends too, but sometimes she trumps them and my true friends understand that! She is the person that I will call at 2 am crying over boys, classes, and life or at 2 pm to tell her about the job offer, committee nomination, or just to tell her I love her.
3. They become your biggest cheer leaders.
Yes, when you have two parents they always are your cheerleaders. However, my mother is just one person, but can be louder than all your parents combined. She comes to EVERYTHING. My mom never misses anything. If I tell her I am getting an award or going to be presenting a project to the community or whatever the case may be, her first response is "Let me put that on my calendar, so I can be there." And now that I am away at college, every time I email or text my mom about some opportunity, I get a response back at how proud my mother is of me. And if I fail, my mom is there to pick me back up and cheer me on in the rest of my endeavors.
4. They become your personal body guard.
I mean who needs secret service when you have a single parent who will fight for you always? I guess if you are the President of the United States - then yeah you need a secret service agent. However, cross me wrong and my mom will be the first person to be my personal body guard. My mom always is there to protect me and defend me 24/7. Whether it is me crying at 2 AM or 2 PM, my mother is always there for me to make me smile and give me the encouragement to continue fighting.
5. They sacrifice everything.
Yes, you heard me right, single parents sacrifice EVERYTHING. There are countless nights I remember my mom sacrificing going out with her friends or old co-workers to help me study for trimesters and comprehensive exams. Heck, my mom even sacrificed paying one whole year of college tuition to send my brother and me to a private high school to give us the best life we can have. My mom has sacrificed everything from nights out to paychecks to make sure my brother and I have the best life she can possibly give us.
However, my mother isn't the only single parent I have seen give the world for their children. I have seen my aunt and uncle raise their own children and show just how amazing single parents are. One of my best friends from high school is a single mom and she never ceases to amaze me at all she does for her and her daughter every day of the week.
You might not agree that single parents are the best parents and that is okay, we are all entitled to our own opinions. But for me, I wouldn't have it any other way. My mother has played a huge role in making me the strong, independent woman I am today and I am forever greatful for her. So for all you single parents out there whatever judgement people pass on you because you are a single parent, take it with a grain of salt, smile because you will can kill them with kindness, and keeping doing you! Thank you for being the best parents out there!
Love,
The Daughter of a Single Parent
