Years ago, to find solitude, I would throw a blanket over my head and affectionately tell my children I was in, “the cone of alone.” As moms, we have to find moments of alone where we can. The women who will be joining me as contributing writers to Hibernate over the next six weeks all are on the front line of single motherhood. They find time to write in their closets, while their kids nap, waiting in the pick-up line, or in the wee hours of the morning.
In Ramblings from the Den, you will hear thoughts to inspire, encourage, unite, and bring hope as we journey the last weeks of winter together.
Single parenthood is one of the toughest jobs in the entire world. It’s not a job for the fainthearted. It requires a lot of confidence and determination. It can be easy to question whether or not we are getting it right.
Jacqueline Woodson once said, “The strength of my mother is something I didn’t pay attention to for so long. Here she was, this single mom, who was part of the Great Migration, who was part of a Jim Crow south, who said, ‘I’m getting my kids out of here. I’m creating opportunities for these young people by any means necessary.”
Whether you are working hard to put food on the table, opening up your arms extra wide for bear hugs at the end of each day, making yourself a safe landing place for your kids, or engaging in the really tough parts of parenting – you are not unseen.
They see us. They may not realize all we do, or why we do what we do…but they see us. Years from now they may notice our strength. Even if they don’t, they will carry into their adult lives our legacy of grit, love, and an ability to overcome. We are instilling a legacy, that only single moms can instill.
Our staff loves to gather around a table and share good food together. Many of us have food intolerances and TRY to eat on the healthy side…or maybe a more accurate statement would be, we try to eat balanced. Good Food + Chocolate! This soup recipe is our favorite go to when the snow is falling, and the day calls for cuddling up under a blanket.
Napping can be an art form. Personally, I have always been jealous of those that can sleep anywhere. One time, while traveling by train I watched a man sleep. Drool streamed out of his mouth, his head bobbed with the movement of the train, and not once did he awake when we stopped at the stations. What an art form!
For me… I need help napping. My girlfriend Wendy loves to ask people the question, “What are you doing for you?” When she was a single mom, answering that question was difficult. One thing she discovered was her love for being warm. Napping was an answer for her. Being extra warm while napping was an even better answer.
The art of napping for her took on new meaning when she started making hot rice socks. These little bundles of warmth are brilliant! For those of us that do not have the skill or time to sew, a sock makes perfect sense.
This week consider making a hot rice sock, warming it up, jumping under a cozy blanket, and taking a nap
(Closing your eyes and just laying still for a while also totally counts as a nap!)
In the reVIVE Course through Single MOMM, we use this quote from the movie, Under the Tuscan Sun. There is so much depth to explore in these words, so much truth to consider. Comment below - we would love to hear what your thoughts are on this quote!
"Signora, between Austria and Italy, there is a section of the Alps called the Semmering. It is an impossibly steep, very high part of the mountains. They built a train track over these Alps to connect Vienna and Venice. They built these tracks even before there was a train in existence that could make the trip. They built it because they knew some day, the train would come."
- Under the Tuscan Sun
Text: 231-227-3153
Call: 231-944-1710
Email: info@singlemomm.org
Mentorship 360
This is a uniquely designed mentorship program. It begins by viewing each individual as a whole being - physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental. It builds upon a mutual trust between the mentor and mentee. Topics range from parenting to finances to how to maintain life during this crisis.
Mentoring sessions are currently offered over the phone or video chat or outside. Contact us to schedule time with a mentor.