Single parenting is not for wimps

Raising children is the most important job you will ever have in the world. Why?! Because children are our future heritage. They give us hope, something to stand on for future generations.

If you don't believe that, then once you experience parenthood, you suddenly realize that God does have a sense of humor. Children will test your patience. Push your buttons. Want to make you pull your hair out and butt your head against the brick wall. You will have sleepless nights. Aggravated days of hopeless abandon. There will be instances where you wished you could disappear in a hole from the world! You will think: "Augghhh! Did my child just do that! I can't believe he said that! How embarrassing!!"

You will bite your tongue. You will put yourself in time out with your own kids just to take a break. Your hard days work of cleaning and cooking will come to nothing at the end of the day. There will be puke and poop accidents. There will be the vilest situations of sickness to make you realize you should have went to nursing school just to handle the gag reflex. Or at least I thought that at one time!

Most often times a parent feels pulled in different directions and it is hard to see hope in darkness. As humans, we like to know where we are going and what to do when we get there. When it comes to raising kids you have to stand up and fight for your family. Don't be afraid to show your children you have a backbone.

Courage in despair. Hope in desperation. Unwavering in your commitment to them as the seed of your own loins! Standing strong for the future your children will one day stand on.

A soldier fights in the hopes to keep his homeland and family safe. The business owner plans and works hard to see his business succeed. The writer polishes his skills and keeps working. But we all have the same desire. Hope to see something better coming out of what we are working towards in life.

Parenting is an experience learned through every day life lessons. It is not for wimps. Single parenting is challenging because most often there is only one parent doing everything, and let's face it....sometimes we just need HELP! A break. Our own time out.

So don't lose hope. What you are sacrificing now for your family will lead to greater benefits in the future. Especially when someone says: "Wow. Such good kids you have!"...And you just want to say out loud..."You have no idea!"

Or, you could look at it my way. I have a deeper understanding and respect for my own parent's, especially seeing what I put them through now that I am going through it myself. I gladly say..."Yes sir" "Yes mam" to my own parent's, just out of respect for everything they went through struggling to raise me right! Besides, at the end of the day when all is said and done...I can gladly boast when my children draw me a picture that says: "I love my mom."