Hello, awesome readers!
When I grabbed my phone this morning to play my usual game of Scrabble with my first cup of coffee, my eyes almost fell out of their sockets. The first thing I saw was the date: November 25.
Holy mistle toe, Batman! Christmas is exactly one month away! How did we even get here??? Back to school was like an hour ago!
And then I started thinking about years gone by, when I was a young, single mom.
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: Now that I’m on THIS side of the single mom journey, I miss my kids when they were young and still mine.
Yes, life was challenging. And by challenging, I mean a chaotic circus. I was the solo ringmaster, juggling finances, laundry, and a rigorous daily routine of getting my kids to school and me to work, all while making sure that everyone was wearing matching socks.
And don’t even get me started about the math homework. That was a battle in itself. Not because my kids didn’t want to do their homework but because I didn’t understand it!
Oh, and the holiday season! That was a big one. I remember one year especially when the Christmas spirit was simply nowhere to be found. That’s because I kept looking for it in my wallet.
While my kids were excited for that yearly visit from Santa, buying gifts for them was not in the budget.
Finally, just a few days before December 25th, I went to the Dollar Store and binged with a whopping $10. That’s when everything in the Dollar Store was actually a dollar. And in hindsight, my kids didn’t know the difference between an expensive Barbie with Mattel written on the box and a knock-off from China.
The truth is that my kids – as young as they were – didn’t give a rat’s tiddly wink about big, expensive presents.
The festive lights on the street. Putting up the Christmas tree together. The decorations. The friend and family gatherings. The continuous stream of Christmas shows on TV. Baking reindeer cookies together. THAT’S what the Christmas spirit was – and still is – all about.
So, here’s to all you single moms out there: May your holiday season be filled with more joy and laughter than a Dollar Store shopping spree! Remember, the true Christmas spirit isn’t found in your bank account. It’s in the wacky, wonderful moments you create with your little elves.
Sleigh on, solo supermoms! 🎄✨
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Mona Andrei is an award-winning humour/humor blogger, columnist, and author. In her most recent book, SUPERWOMAN: A Funny and Reflective Look at Single Motherhood, she shares her challenges and triumphs as a single mother as well as stories from other single mothers. It’s a fun and insightful read. You should buy it.
When Mona isn’t writing, you can probably find her dancing. As a member of a competitive hip hop team, she likes to think that she’ll stay young and cool forever. She may be delusional.
Not a single mom, not even Christian, but we still enjoy so much that the season has to offer.
Great read and oh so true!