This Week...

was a week I had dreaded for months. It was a week my husband had to be gone from Monday morning to Friday night. I expected that it would be hard, and long, and at times overwhelming. And my expectation pretty much met my reality. Add in an overnight visit from a friend and my week became a whirlwind of cleaning up messes, driving the car, and making sure there was food in the house.

Not much happened beyond that.

Certainly not blogging. Oh I had good intentions-- for writing, for blogging, for projects and errands and many other things. But mostly I just went into survival mode. And I learned something I already knew but proved all over again. Single parents? Are amazing.

For single parents there is no cavalry arriving at the end of the day. There is no one to offer to pick up milk at the grocery store on the way home. There is no one to talk to about issues or problems. No one to marvel at the funny/clever/amazing things the kids did. No one to discuss discipline tactics with when they're not so funny/clever/amazing. There is just a glass of red wine and DVR'ed tv to fall asleep to at the end of a long and overwhelming day when all you want is for no one to ask you for anything for approximately five minutes.

Why do I write this?

Because if you know a single parent maybe you'll be inspired to call and ask if there is anything she (or he) needs at the grocery store. Maybe you'll make extra for dinner and swing it by their house, surprising them with a night they don't have to put a meal on the table. Maybe you'll linger a bit longer and let them talk about their kids because you're thinking that they might just need to share. Or maybe you'll just bring the red wine and a movie from Redbox and sit beside them while they veg at the end of a long day. And you will say, "You know what? I think you're amazing."

Because I suspect they really need to hear it.