a single mom lesson and a public request
Recently I was at an event at my children's school. I was talking to another mom and had to excuse myself because a client was asking for help. She needed formula for her baby and had run out and it was a Saturday....and she wasn't able to get any over the weekend. Food pantries aren't open on weekends either. All of the women I work with know that if they need food for their children they should tell me and I will help them. I left the school event to go and get some formula for this kiddo and the mom I was talking to was influenced. I told her I had found a $20 in my cupboard that morning that someone had gifted to me months ago, for such a time as this, and so on this day that $20 would find its need. Last week this mom friend from school sent me a $50 bill in a sweet card, telling me to use it when I needed to for the families I work with. How cool is that?
My husband has been gone for about 10 days for work so I have functioned like a single mom. I have had to ask for help getting kids here and there. I have had embarrassing meltdowns in the garage in tears when they came in the house muddy at bedtime. I have settled for ordering pizza instead of cooking dinner so I could get my time sheets in on time and get paid. I have struggled to handle everything 24 hours a day 7 days a week by myself. It is exhausting. I am not cut out for it. I am not strong enough. I miss my husband. I miss him for adult conversation and I miss him for the help he gives at home. I miss him for taking the pressure off of me as a parent and instead sharing the job of giving love and attention to our children. It is really hard to do it alone. Fortunately for me, my husband is coming home. Soon. Tomorrow night, in fact. Fortunately for me my oldest is 19 and in college and can come home and help me when I send out a distress signal. My mom lives across town and can take my little kids overnight when I have to take another child to a hospital for surgery. Fortunately I have a boss who loves me so much she will give me an extension on deadlines....and bring dinner for my family on a Saturday night. Fortunately for me I have a best friend who will text me and call me and message me and stop by to make sure I know I am not alone in this challenging season. I am so fortunate.
There are countless single moms and stressed out families who are not as fortunate as I am. They live here, in our communities. They have huge burdens and struggles and they are bearing them all silently without enough help. We can send up a distress signal and ask for material help, like food and diapers and beds and clothing.....and this community responds. It is a beautiful thing to see a need revealed and help responding.....but I think we can do more.
Last summer I put a question on Facebook, asking if anyone would be willing to match up with another family, kind of like "adopt a family" at Christmas, or Compassion International/World Vision sponsorship of an orphan or child in need. I wondered if local people would be willing to match up with local children and families in a friendship, and be willing to be a support and a resource. Lots and lots of people responded and said they wanted to be a part of such a venture......
Let's start here. Lets start with a family in Orange City and a family in Sioux Center. Both have young children and parents who want to do their best for their children. Would anyone local or even distant want to match up with either one? If you live far away, it can be more of a financial relationship with maybe letters or phone calls....if you live close you can meet the family and share life. Send me a text or private message if this stirs your heart. We can talk details individually.
Again and again I am taught how much we need each other and how much we rely on community to get through life. My family and my people are a huge blessing to me. Imagine going through life without that.
My husband has been gone for about 10 days for work so I have functioned like a single mom. I have had to ask for help getting kids here and there. I have had embarrassing meltdowns in the garage in tears when they came in the house muddy at bedtime. I have settled for ordering pizza instead of cooking dinner so I could get my time sheets in on time and get paid. I have struggled to handle everything 24 hours a day 7 days a week by myself. It is exhausting. I am not cut out for it. I am not strong enough. I miss my husband. I miss him for adult conversation and I miss him for the help he gives at home. I miss him for taking the pressure off of me as a parent and instead sharing the job of giving love and attention to our children. It is really hard to do it alone. Fortunately for me, my husband is coming home. Soon. Tomorrow night, in fact. Fortunately for me my oldest is 19 and in college and can come home and help me when I send out a distress signal. My mom lives across town and can take my little kids overnight when I have to take another child to a hospital for surgery. Fortunately I have a boss who loves me so much she will give me an extension on deadlines....and bring dinner for my family on a Saturday night. Fortunately for me I have a best friend who will text me and call me and message me and stop by to make sure I know I am not alone in this challenging season. I am so fortunate.
There are countless single moms and stressed out families who are not as fortunate as I am. They live here, in our communities. They have huge burdens and struggles and they are bearing them all silently without enough help. We can send up a distress signal and ask for material help, like food and diapers and beds and clothing.....and this community responds. It is a beautiful thing to see a need revealed and help responding.....but I think we can do more.
Last summer I put a question on Facebook, asking if anyone would be willing to match up with another family, kind of like "adopt a family" at Christmas, or Compassion International/World Vision sponsorship of an orphan or child in need. I wondered if local people would be willing to match up with local children and families in a friendship, and be willing to be a support and a resource. Lots and lots of people responded and said they wanted to be a part of such a venture......
Let's start here. Lets start with a family in Orange City and a family in Sioux Center. Both have young children and parents who want to do their best for their children. Would anyone local or even distant want to match up with either one? If you live far away, it can be more of a financial relationship with maybe letters or phone calls....if you live close you can meet the family and share life. Send me a text or private message if this stirs your heart. We can talk details individually.
Again and again I am taught how much we need each other and how much we rely on community to get through life. My family and my people are a huge blessing to me. Imagine going through life without that.
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