Recently, a single parent friend was talking to me and she shared that she would really love to be living “the good life” but that it just wasn’t possible for single parents. What? What does that actually mean and why is it that we let society tell us that we are outsiders? Why do we let ourselves believe that the “good” life or the American Dream or whatever is not available to us simply because we are single parents?
I fully acknowledge that life can get rough and bumpy for a single parent, but I also think that we can get caught up in expectations and fantasies about what societal “norms” are. We might not be as far from the good life as we think we are, but we are so influenced by magazines, television, movies, and made-up ideals that we cannot see how great we really have it.
You have probably guessed that I am not a big consumer and definitely not someone who wants all the “stuff” and trappings of what many consider a successful life. I don’t need a huge house or cars or to buy a resort on an island. To me, the “good” life is pretty much what I have—a family that I have raised and loved and influenced, plenty to eat, a soft warm bed for every one to sleep in at night, plenty of laughter, good health, a fresh loaf of homemade bread, being able to afford a movie or a night at the ballet, and a good glass of wine. It doesn’t have to be excessive and my bank account does not have to be obscenely fat. In fact, when I remind myself that my family and I actually live better and richer than the majority of people on the planet, and that I have absolutely everything I need and then some—I realize that single parent or not, I am SO living the GOOD life!
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