I was talking to a fellow single mom today, and she was sharing how she was at her breaking point. She was at the point of being sick and tired of being sick and tired. She has just become a single mom and just can’t fathom how a man can just walk away from their child. As I spoke with her and offered her advice, I shared my own story. After hearing it, she asked me a question:
Don’t you get sick and tired of being strong? Don’t you sometimes want to give up?
And the answer I gave her was simple…
I get sick and tired EVERY DAY! I want to give up EVERY DAY!
I get sick and tired of being a single mom
I get sick and tired that my son’s father isn’t there for our son
I get sick and tired of watching my son scream and yell and cry with even the mention of Daddy
I get sick and tired of how people view me because I’m a single mom
I get sick and tired of having to go to work each day
I get sick and tired of feeling inadequate at times due to someone else’s standards
I get sick and tired of working so hard and getting paid pennies
I get sick and tired of the need to meet societal needs
I get sick and tired of being haunted by my experiences in past relationships
I get sick and tired of being alone
I get sick and tired of worrying about everyone around me and in my life
I get sick and tired of being strong all the time
I sometimes want to break down and cry, out of frustration, anxiety, and then something amazing happens…I let it go!!!!
Because you know what? I don’t have the time and the patience to be depressed about it. I have my beautiful baby boy that depends on me to be strong and nurturing. I still have to wake up each morning and go to work to support myself and my son. I don’t have to allow my past to become my future. I don’t have to meet society’s needs. I need to be myself. I have to be me. My mother depends on me for being there, even if it’s just to be supportive and a sounding board. I have to do it. I have to be there for and with my friends to offer them a shoulder whenever they need it especially they have been there from Day One and have never turned away from me. I have to do that.
I have to be that way because that’s who I am…
And allowing myself to worry about everything is not making anything better. I have to keep moving and keep busy because nothing has changed since the moment that I broke down and wanted to cry. Nothing at all…
Sometimes getting to the point where you’re sick and tired allows the strength to come forth to move forward.
When I am at my lowest point, I find that there is only one direction left to go – and that’s up. So why continue to dig my grave, why not continue to push forward towards success? Because one day, I will look back and realize that it was all worth the journey.
Being a single mom doesn’t mean the end of the world, sometimes it is the motivation that you need to be keep your head up and drive to be successful. Don’t allow it to bring you down. There are many single moms that have done it successfully with less than you’ll ever have. Let them be your inspiration to keep moving forward. Don’t let the negative thoughts take over you. I’m not overly religious, but I’m extremely spiritual. I believe that God has a plan for each and every one of us, and this is just part of the path that He has made for us to become a better person. Live up to that standard, not below it.
