Being Raised By A Single Mom Was A Blessing
Having both of your parents by your side living under the same roof is undoubtedly a privilege. But in my opinion, being raised by a fierce single parent as a girl is a bigger blessing.
Growing up, things were never easy. My father died when I was three, leaving my mom with nothing but the responsibility of raising two children single-handedly. My mother worked six days a week full-time. We were a close-knit band of three, walking side by side every step of the way. But I’d be lying if I claimed it was easy.
There were times when we struggled to manage our finances. There were times when I saw my mom selling her belongings at discount prices to make some money. And there were times when I saw my mom almost give up.
But she didn’t.
My mom was an aggressive lioness who stood against the world to protect her children and went beyond limits to do so. Here are some of the powerful lessons she taught me.
1. Never depend on a man
Since the age of three, I have always seen my mom hustling through life alone. She turned out to be a real role model for me. I was always taught to never think of myself as lesser than any man. Being raised with the mentality of “I don’t need a man to support me” gave me the right mindset to become independent and capable of bearing my own expenses. The man who wants to enter my life has nothing but loyalty and stability to offer me.
As a result, I was always a step ahead of people my age. While other girls romanticized getting married and engaged, I focused on my dreams.
2. Manage my finances
My mother worked very hard each day to ensure we had the best of everything. I always saw her making a budget out of her salary, taking out all the necessary expenses like school fees and groceries first, then thinking about luxuries. This taught me to spend according to my budget and never step out of it. I learned to be vigilant in spending my hard-earned money.
3. Always have my own money
My father was the sole earner of the household. When he died, things got rocky for us regarding money, and my mom had no savings to raise us. My mother always told me that it’s critical to keep your own stash in your own accounts. Once married, you can open a joint account with your husband, but you should reserve part of your personal money earned before marriage for yourself. You never know when you’re going to need it.
4. Life must go on
The last and most important lesson I learned from my mom is that life must go on no matter what. The sudden death of my father left her in rather a shocking state of mind. Still, despite losing the person she spent seven years of her life with, she wiped her tears, donned her superwoman cape, and fought against the world to raise her kids the right way.
Moms are undoubtedly a blessing that we can never thank God enough for, but single mothers are even bigger blessings.
If you have a single mother raising you, rather than bashing her for not giving you proper time or attention, try to understand her struggles. Make her feel loved and valued the way she deserves to be.