So often we write in regards to the single mothers of the world, today I would like to reach out to the single fathers and let them know that they are not forgotten. While there are significantly more single mothers out there, many single fathers are struggling with similar issues that often go unnoticed.
Growing up my two best friends were raised by a single father, in a time when single fathers were much less common. It was very unusual in the state of Utah for a father to get sole custody, but due to the extenuating circumstances at the time he was left to parent on his own. Being a single father, there was very little money, and he often struggled being able to hold a job due to his responsibilities at home. He was forced to make many sacrifices for his young daughters. Being so young, we were very unaware of the sacrifices our single parents were making for us at the time.
Because he was so committed to his girls, he often gave up dating opportunities to be with them. He had been through an extremely difficult divorce and wasn’t sure he wanted to put his daughters through that again, so he remained single for many, many years. Both of his daughters are married now and he is finding himself in a state of constant loneliness.
Single dads are so often forgotten in the single parent community, but they are dealing with the same struggles we are as women, and many of their struggles are even greater because they get overlooked. When it comes down to it, being a single parent is hard. No matter who you are, you are doing a hard job alone. Reach out to the single parents in your community. Something as simple as a smile could make all the difference in the world today.