Sometimes I forget how lucky I am. As a single mother I’ve always had a great support system. Even though my ex husband was not always helpful I live close to my sisters and have some wonderful friends.
A friend of mine is not so lucky. She is the only child of a single mother and is now a single mother of three. She is also pretty young and hasn’t quite developed the support system some of us have.
My friend has to have surgery next week. She has a tumor in her back that has to be removed. That is scary enough, but when you have three small children it’s even scarier.
I’m taking the three kids for a few days while she has surgery and recuperates a little. When I take them home she will be on her own. Her own mother is ill and not able to help her with the kids. I worry about her, what will she do, how will she take care of everyone, including herself? Her youngest is three, three year olds really don’t understand why mom can’t do all the things she normally does.
Add to that the stress of being out of work for five weeks. I can’t imagine her stress. How do you pay the bills? How do you feed and bathe everyone, not to mention keeping up on the loads of laundry and mounds of dishes three kids make?
I wish she lived closer but she is an hour away. After I take the kids home I won’t be able to pop in and check on everyone. I’ll do what I can, make casseroles for her to heat up, buy cereal and milk, and when I take the kids home do whatever I can while I’m there. It won’t be enough, but, as all single mothers do, she’ll figure it out.
Things like this make me realize how blessed I am, and also makes me want to tell every single mother to create their own village. You never know when you’ll need it.