I know how busy you are—as single parents, most of us have little time to sip a cup of coffee, let alone add more activities and events to our daily lives. I do believe, however, that getting more involved in our communities, our neighborhoods, or other facets of the world around us will benefit us, our families, and make our lives richer and more fulfilling.
Instead of focusing on all of the time that you do not have, it might be worth your while to look for ways that you can get more involved with things that make you happy, feed your soul, or support causes and things that matter to you. Even if it is a minor change like teaching Sunday school instead of sitting in church—it can have a big impact on your life.
I think what can happen for single parents is that we get so focused on doing what we HAVE to do or we go through a major crisis that forces us to pay very close attention to basic survival—so much so that we feel our lives are to full with commitments to get more involved. As the dust settles, however, you may have more time for the pleasures of involvement than you think. Start small—volunteer for a one-day event, or go along with a friend or two to a fundraiser. Perhaps, instead of volunteering to help out once a week at your child’s school, you start with offering to chaperone a field trip or prepare materials for one-time event. Ease into getting more involved so that you do not find yourself overwhelmed and over-committed. Find things you really care about so that the involvement is a pleasure you look forward to instead of just one more “have to do” thing on your over-burdened “to-do” list.