Solo Mother

Cause you got to have friends

by christina on April 24th, 2007

I missed my bus last night, and couldn’t bear the thought of standing around watching the bums, while waiting for another bus to show up. So I called a friend and he walked me home, all the way from the station to my front door. Virtual running shoes, he called it. Being a single mother is hard for a thousand small reasons, from having no one to pick up the dry cleaning or make the bed, to not having anyone at home who’s expecting you and would worry if you don’t make it. And since the King of Everything was on a sleepover with his grandfolks (a daffodil picking mission in the mountain foothills trumps time spent in a rundown elementary school, every time, in my book), I was keenly conscious of the fact that no one would miss me until the morning if anything went awry. Thus, my virtual escort. It was lovely.

My son greeted me this afternoon with a lovely bouquet of flowers. It’s such a joy to watch his face light up every time he sees me. We went to the park this afternoon, and I did some work while he sought another Perfect Companion; I watched the parents, and this time, I got to see that same joy on faces, parents and kids alike, as moms and dads came to the park in search of little ones with nannies. I watched the expectation on the faces of the parents as they scanned the milling crowd for whatever little body was their dearest joy. I watched the anticipation build, and sunshine break over their faces whenever the connection was reestablished, the little one nestled happily in a parent’s arms, and what a way to know that somehow, all is right with the world.

Share This

Related Stories

What to do when the single mother gets sick
Old friends
Holidaze for the single mother
A few words about the holiday season
Can single dads do it as well as single moms?

POSTED IN: love