An Open Letter to the Single Mom on Mother’s Day

Dear Mama,

It’s hard, I know. Waking up on Mother’s Day without breakfast in bed or an array of elaborate gifts. I’ve been there, and I remember telling myself that those gifts aren’t important. That what really matters is spending time with your children on this special day. All that is true, but it still stings a little, being a single mom on Mother’s Day.

It’s a stark reminder that you are doing this all on your own. Every parent-teacher conference. Every basketball game. Every late-night tummy ache…it’s all on you. It can get overwhelming, and when Mother’s Day comes around and you see all of the other moms being pampered and showered with love and affection- it hurts. Whether you’re a single mom by choice or by circumstance, it is not an easy road to travel.

It’s okay to feel a little down that you’re missing out on the things that moms with a partner get to enjoy, but don’t forget about all the things you get to do that they don’t have the privilege of experiencing.

You get twice the hugs and twice the kisses. And you get a bond with your children that is unlike any other.

You get to build a stronger relationship with your support system, because you realize how much value they add to you and your child’s life.

And you get to witness, firsthand, the incredible hearts of so many teachers, coaches, and other mentors who have stepped into your child’s life and helped fill the void left by the missing parent.

You get to know yourself better than most people will ever know themselves, because you have had to dig down so deep to find the courage and strength to take on the roles of not one, but two parents.

And you get to be THE person in your child’s life. The one they tell all of their troubles to, and the one they celebrate all of their victories with.

You get to become part of the Strong Single Mom’s Club- a club you may never have anticipated being in, but one that, once you are in it, will show you the true strength and courage of a mother- over and over again.

So, while it’s true that you may only receive a few extra hugs on Mother’s Day instead of a five-course breakfast complete with a bouquet of roses, those hugs are worth so much more. That special bond is irreplaceable. You are irreplaceable.

To the single mom on Mother’s Day, I want you to know that I think you are so strong. I think you are so brave. I think you are so incredible. And you know what? Your children do, too, even if they aren’t able to show it in materialistic ways.

Happy Mother’s Day, mama. You’re amazing.

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