To say that I am grateful for your guidance is an understatement! Six years ago, I became a single parent to my 1 and 2-year-old daughters when my husband took his own life. My mind reeled as I was overwhelmed, trying to figure out what life looked like without my husband, who was the sole provider for our family and daddy to our children.
I took a job working at an animal shelter so I could pay the bills, and my mother took on responsibility for my kids, so that I could work. But because my mom lives in a different town, my girls would stay at her house for days at a time. I worked four days a week, got my kids and spent the next three days with them. It was hard on all of us. I knew my children were suffering the most, being shuffled around all week and never knowing for sure where they’d be sleeping. Then I listened to one of your podcasts at work, and it hit me that in my effort to care for them, I was actually hurting my kids. They had no stability and they hardly saw me. Even though they adored my mom, I knew that no one could fill the role in their lives that I was supposed to.
I’ve been a stay-at-home mom ever since that revelation, homeschooling my daughters and only taking part-time work when they could be with me. Thanks for the encouragement you provide to moms to make the step to be fully present in their children’s lives.
Alyssa
Surviving a Horrific Loss