Oh I can relate so to this. I was a single parent of two girls, starting when they were 5 months and 2 1/2 until I remarried 8 years later. I remember dissolving in tears trying to build a crib from a flat pack for my younger one a few weeks after their father left me. Building a crib is hard enough with two people! But I also remember dancing on the coffee table with them, celebrating New Year’s Eve by counting down the ball drop in Times Square on TV (when we were on PST so it was only 9 pm), weekend hikes, annual
Mexico vacations with just my mom and the girls, and so many car rides singing along to the Backstreet Boys and KLF. We had fun. We also all got the flu together. It was a magical time of three of us as a unit that I wouldn’t trade for anything. Although I didn’t have a partner to share responsibilities, I also didn’t have a partner to argue with about differences in parenting styles. I hardly had a break from full time work and childcare on most weekends and evenings. But my girls know who I am, they know they are loved, and now I have watched my daughter become an amazing, patient, kind mother of two with a loving and supportive partner, and I know it was all worth it. I wouldn’t change anything. Hang in there. There is joy yet to come.
First, we need to recognize that America is no longer a democracy. Since the advent of Citizens United it's been a textbook oligarchy. Because there is an unlimited amount of legal bribery in America, we have culture wars because talking about the issues (for most, but thankfully not all members of Congress) is not going to get you elected. What gets you elected for most members of Congress is doing the bidding of your rich donors who insist that lies and fake news is vomited everywhere to make people want to keep the status quo....rich donors are even willing to embrace those who want fascism if it means protecting vested interests. Solution?? Citizens United needs to be rescinded. If that's not done, then I don't see how things can get better....in anything worse. America is not unique to these experiences. Other civilizations have going through all of this, and the end point resulted in conflict that ripped the civilization apart.
This was an important read for me today because I was feeling a bit discouraged about the fate of our democracy and life in general. Everything seems so bleak with this new US House. Let’s keep fighting for a brighter future! I share your sentiments about single motherhood because I was a single mother, full time worker and parttime college student with a starting salary of $6408 with the federal government back in 1974. To say the least, life was tough. I too had many sleepless nights and, to add to the misery, I was subjected to workplace sexual harassment/extortion from 1977-1980 culminating in prima facia case in 1981. I've had my share of workplace "battle scars" working as a woman in the Defense Department: in positions traditionally held by men always having to prove my worth and work twice as hard. My hope and strength came from my Catholic faith and continuous prayer that still serves me today. Cheers to a bright, hopeful, joyful New Year for everyone!
This does come at a fortuitous time. My word for this year is Transform. I am determined to greet each day with optimism born out of the idea that all is possible. I have transformed "fights" into "collaborations" and stress into excitement. While I have never been a single parent, I have been a single woman with no money or food. The patriarchy and white supremacy have a hold but it's not unbreakable. Love this so much!!!
Oh I can relate so to this. I was a single parent of two girls, starting when they were 5 months and 2 1/2 until I remarried 8 years later. I remember dissolving in tears trying to build a crib from a flat pack for my younger one a few weeks after their father left me. Building a crib is hard enough with two people! But I also remember dancing on the coffee table with them, celebrating New Year’s Eve by counting down the ball drop in Times Square on TV (when we were on PST so it was only 9 pm), weekend hikes, annual
Mexico vacations with just my mom and the girls, and so many car rides singing along to the Backstreet Boys and KLF. We had fun. We also all got the flu together. It was a magical time of three of us as a unit that I wouldn’t trade for anything. Although I didn’t have a partner to share responsibilities, I also didn’t have a partner to argue with about differences in parenting styles. I hardly had a break from full time work and childcare on most weekends and evenings. But my girls know who I am, they know they are loved, and now I have watched my daughter become an amazing, patient, kind mother of two with a loving and supportive partner, and I know it was all worth it. I wouldn’t change anything. Hang in there. There is joy yet to come.
First, we need to recognize that America is no longer a democracy. Since the advent of Citizens United it's been a textbook oligarchy. Because there is an unlimited amount of legal bribery in America, we have culture wars because talking about the issues (for most, but thankfully not all members of Congress) is not going to get you elected. What gets you elected for most members of Congress is doing the bidding of your rich donors who insist that lies and fake news is vomited everywhere to make people want to keep the status quo....rich donors are even willing to embrace those who want fascism if it means protecting vested interests. Solution?? Citizens United needs to be rescinded. If that's not done, then I don't see how things can get better....in anything worse. America is not unique to these experiences. Other civilizations have going through all of this, and the end point resulted in conflict that ripped the civilization apart.
This was an important read for me today because I was feeling a bit discouraged about the fate of our democracy and life in general. Everything seems so bleak with this new US House. Let’s keep fighting for a brighter future! I share your sentiments about single motherhood because I was a single mother, full time worker and parttime college student with a starting salary of $6408 with the federal government back in 1974. To say the least, life was tough. I too had many sleepless nights and, to add to the misery, I was subjected to workplace sexual harassment/extortion from 1977-1980 culminating in prima facia case in 1981. I've had my share of workplace "battle scars" working as a woman in the Defense Department: in positions traditionally held by men always having to prove my worth and work twice as hard. My hope and strength came from my Catholic faith and continuous prayer that still serves me today. Cheers to a bright, hopeful, joyful New Year for everyone!
This does come at a fortuitous time. My word for this year is Transform. I am determined to greet each day with optimism born out of the idea that all is possible. I have transformed "fights" into "collaborations" and stress into excitement. While I have never been a single parent, I have been a single woman with no money or food. The patriarchy and white supremacy have a hold but it's not unbreakable. Love this so much!!!