Last night I attended a single mothers seminar. I had been looking forward to it all week because I have been looking into some ways to make some money from home so I can keep Logan in daycare as little as possible. I also thought it would be a good way to connect with other single moms in the area. Well it was one of those days. It seemed like the entire universe was combining against me to keep me from making it to this seminar! My mother had agreed to watch my son for me, I even left on time. Then as I was sitting in the car waiting to get on the freeway I noticed that the flyer said “Sunday Dress.” I looked down, I was still in jeans and a t-shirt. So I got off at the first exit I came to, rushed home in the middle of rush hour, grabbed a dress, and changed in the car while I was driving just as fast as I could to make it back to the freeway before I was too late. Then when I got where I thought I was supposed to be I realized I had typed the address incorrectly into the GPS and was a bit lost. Luckily it ended up being only a few blocks away and I made it in as the last speaker was ending her talk.
The room was full of other single moms, many of whom were also in a t-shirt and jeans! So I missed the talks, but I did make it in time to go around to several of the little booths they had set up as resources for single moms. They had several universities there helping moms further their education, the Department of Workforce Services was there with information on the different forms of government aids available for single parents. There were a few different employment agencies there with a list of available openings. They even had a couple of booths on women’s health and how to afford things like regular mammograms and pap smears.
As I walked in during that last talk the woman said something that really hit me. She said, “The shepherd leads us to the field, but he won’t pick up the grain and feed us.” She was talking in a religious context, but I think it applies to so many different aspects of our lives too. As single mothers we have been provided with so many different resources, but we will never benefit from them unless we move forward and actively take advantage of them. Reach out and see what is available in your community. Everybody needs a little help getting back on their feet sometimes.