In the beginning of your single parenting journey you may feel overwhelmed at the tasks that lay before you. Your entire world has shifted. This is unknown territory and you are frightened at the prospect of facing this challenge alone. You will do it, because there is no one else to do it for you, but it is ok to be afraid. There are times you will feel as if you are trying to breathe underwater. The intensity of all emotions grows with single parenting. The stresses are bigger, the pain is greater, the injustice is constant, but also, the overwhelming joy, the pride, and the unbreakable bond with your children. You will be on an emotional rollercoaster, but in time, you’ll learn to enjoy the ride.
I have always had a strong bond with my son. I fought hard to get him here, and when they placed him in my arms I felt a love for him that cannot possibly be described in mere words. I knew then and there that I would do anything for this child in my arms. When we got divorced and I became a single parent that bond grew. I was the one he was depending on day-in and day-out. The fierceness of that love grew in ways I never thought possible. We clung to each other in our times of need, and held each other’s hand as we continued on our journey.
The road through single parenthood is bumpy. You are faced trying to navigate the twists and turns of life on your own. It is a constant struggle. There will be days when you fall apart, when it seems that life is just too much to bear. You will get through it. One day, you will look back on your life before single parenting and you will find that you are starting to miss it less and less, because although your life is full of increased intensity at every turn, you wouldn’t trade those joys and those triumphs for anything in the world.