Exhausted Love. An author's guide to single parenting

Whoever said parenting was easy is a liar. It is the hardest, yet most rewarding job in the world! Parents have a never ending task to complete twenty four seven.

It can lead to headaches, frustration, tears, laughter, hope and humorous times that last a life time!

For example: Grape Capri-sun squirts and cheese ball hand prints on the wall. The defiant "I can't eat this for supper!"...When you have thrown together what you have in your pantry to make a meal, after working all day.

And the ever nagging thoughts tormenting your mind of the strenuous chores you have to do for tomorrow, so you can come home exhausted again. But before you can prepare for what the next day holds, you take a deep breath and eye your children with a passion only you know deep inside.

You feel closed in a box to your own little world of "I need help!" "I need a break!", and the only way to get through it is to swallow your fears down, suck it up and prepare to continue facing it all over again.

After bath time, story time and the ever..."I love you honey, sleep well" time, you can finally gather your thoughts to prepare for what tomorrow holds. Single parenting is not easy. But it is a blessing in disguise, even when we fail to see it.

So take hope and strength in knowing that what sacrifices you make now will reap a compassion for your families future, and well-rounded children that will not fall when hardships come knocking at their door. After all, they may one day be a single parent themselves.

Take a deep breath and grab that cup of coffee you intended to drink hours ago. That's what microwaves are for anyway! Let the worries and aggravations of your day melt into the back of your mind.

Take heart in knowing that you, as a single parent, do have a purpose to fulfill. After all, your children already know deep inside that your purpose is just for them. At least...until they grow into adulthood and walk on in their own lives.

So stand strong for your family, enjoying what time you have with the "little ones", that not only have ants in their pants, but spontaneous energy explosions like some sort of souped up star cruiser straight from a Science fiction movie!