Standing Ovation to the Real MVPs
As I write this, I am listening to Luke Combs’s song, “This One is For You.”
To my second motherly figure, Emily, I love you with all my heart. This one is for you.
I would like not only to dedicate this post to my sister, but also all the single moms and dads out there who unselfishly raise their kids, pay the bills, give their job 150%, all while trying to ensure their own physical and emotional health are maintained.
Before I wrote this post, I kid you not, I typed into Google, “is there a holiday for single moms and dads?” The only thing Google was able to return were a bunch of blog posts about being a single mom during the holidays. Excuse me? We have a national donut day, pet appreciation, and sibling shoutout but not a day for the individuals who are silently sacrificing their own lives to ensure their children’s lives are better than their own? Yikes. Time to start a conversation and maybe even a movement!
Where does my passion for single parents come from? Perhaps, it begins with my sister. After her divorce, our family faced new challenges, but we knew how to face them head on. At this point in time, I was still in my early twenties, single, and living life like any normal twenty-three-year-old: putting myself first. As I reflect on those years, I truly misunderstood my sister’s uphill battles. I couldn’t understand why she was so tired day in and day out and put her own self-care on hold. I craved and missed my old sister! I wanted the Emily I knew before she met her now ex-husband. That is exactly where the issue lied, the Emily I yearned for no longer existed. She was a mother now with new and demanding responsibilities. In a way, I guess, I inconsiderately resented her for it.
Wow. As I reread that last sentence, that was taxing to gulp down and admit.
Now, as I begin my journey to become a successful and ground-breaking Life Coach, I am in the service industry. Every day, I am learning what it truly takes to serve someone whether that is in my personal or professional life. How does a mother serve her children? It took me four years to figure it out, but I am sure glad I did. My sister performed the most commendable act of self-sacrifice. As an amazing single mother, she put her own needs, wants, and goals on hold for her children.
If you know me personally, you know that all I want to be in the world is a great mom. I even remember for a college final, if we emailed our professor 5 lifetime goals, we got five extra bonus points on the exam. I vividly remember I wrote, “to be a wonderful mother.” Nearly seven years later, I finally know what skills and mindsets are essential in order to become a wonderful mother.
I am lucky to have not only a great mother, but also a second motherly figure, who happens to be my sister. These two women are the most honorable, compassionate, nurturing, and loving people I know. Thank you for showing me what it truly takes to be an incredible mother.
I would like to take a moment to personally stand up, applaud, and have a virtual toast for my sister and all the hundreds of thousands of single parents out there showing up every day for their kids. You might not always be heard, but you are certainly seen.
Cheers to you all!
