Last year, I noticed a few Father’s Day posts that were directed towards single moms and female guardians. Being a child of a single parent, I always wished my Mom a ‘Happy Father’s Day.’ She deserves it. She’s played the role of mommy and daddy for over 35 years. The drive I have to succeed was born from observing her drive to support her children and give them the best childhood she possibly could. No one can tell me my Mom does not deserve to be celebrated on Father’s Day, which leads me to the point of this lovely article:

Single mothers deserve to be celebrated on Father’s Day just as much as fathers.

Scrolling through the comments of those various Father’s Day posts I mentioned above, some people criticized those posts. They claimed Father’s Day should only be for fathers, that mothers already have their day on the second Sunday of May. However, I am a firm believer that Father’s Day celebrates those who have fulfilled fatherly duties or became a father-like role model. It’s not just about being male. It’s about having a parent-like influence on someone’s life.

There are men in my life that are father-like figures to me, and I want to thank them for all that they have done, but none of them come close to what my mother has done for me for the past 20 years. Not only has she supported me financially, but also mentally and emotionally. With a mother like her, I realized I didn’t need my father to make an appearance in my life.

Now, I don’t want people to think this article is about taking Father’s Day away from fathers. I tip my hat to men that do take care of their business and support their children, their families. The world needs more men like you. I just want people to understand that there are single mothers fulfilling both roles, as I am sure there are single fathers doing the same. If you are like me and was raised by one person doing both jobs, then you understand they deserved to be celebrated on both days, and they will be.