I don’t think people give enough credit to men and women who are single, especially those raising children on their own.
Think about what it actually takes to do everything by yourself. You get up, go to work, pay your bills, take care of your kids, cook, clean, take care of your house, and somehow still find time to take care of yourself. All while working, going to school, and trying to build a better life.
And the thing people don’t always think about is that we don’t have a backup. If we lose our job, there’s nobody there to help cover the bills. If we want to take a chance and start our own business, there’s nobody to hold things down financially. If we want to go back to school, change careers, or take a chance on something different, we still have to figure out how to make it all work. If we want to go out and do something for ourselves, we have to figure out who’s watching the kids.
We’re cooking, cleaning, working, paying bills, making appointments, taking care of the kids, and making sure everything at home is taken care of. And when the day is finally over, there’s nobody waiting for us to come home to ask how our day went. Nobody to vent to, nobody to lean on, and nobody to comfort us when we’re having a hard time. Sometimes you just have to swallow whatever you’re feeling and keep moving because there’s still shit that needs to get done.
And I think that’s something people who have never lived this way will never fully understand. It’s easy to think you’re strong when you’ve never had to experience what it’s like to have absolutely nobody to fall back on. You may be strong, but we’re stronger. There’s a difference between having to share the weight and having to carry the whole damn thing yourself.
And with the holidays coming up, shout out to all of us who are just trying to make it through. The ones trying to figure out how we’re going to pay the bills, keep food in the house, and still make sure our kids have something under the Christmas tree. Shit is hard right now. Everything is expensive, money is tight, and a lot of us are barely getting by. Meanwhile, other people get to make decisions, take chances, or enjoy life knowing there’s someone else there to help if things don’t work out. We don’t have that luxury.
So seriously, shout out to us. The ones doing it all, carrying it all, and somehow still making Christmas happen for our kids, even when we’re struggling ourselves. ❤️
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