What if this journey as a single mom was to prove to you, that your life ahead will be greater than you can imagine? Perhaps one day, all the worry and fretting will finally subside. If you must take one more step through this day, make it a giant leap!
There is no money and the bills are overdue. The fridge looks empty, and your kids clothes are getting too small. You can’t remember when you had your last hair appointment. Your nails are never done, and your hands feel old. Life is calling and all it keeps saying is: These are the tough times, but you will get through.
That was my life too, back when I was raising my five children. We had pancakes way too often, so much so, that to this day, I don’t really care for them. Pancakes? really? Yep. Sometimes that was all I had for my kids, and it hurt me terribly. I wrestled with paying a utility bill or buying extra food. However, I ran a business from my home, and I needed every single utility to stay ON. My own kids used to tell me, “The daycare kids eat better than we do.” They were right. Now, please don’t get me wrong, my kids were nourished, and hydrated, but they had planned meals and that meant, they just couldn’t eat whatever they wanted to. I had to make sure nobody ate more apples or bananas than what was allotted for. I had five school lunches to fix and three meals a day for me and my five kids, and then there was my daycare business. My daycare food was separate from my family’s food. That’s just how it had to be. Still we all ate fine, not great, but the belly was full.
When times got tough, or worse, or harder than normal, I would pack a picnic lunch, grabbed our hula hoops, Frisbee, and balls and we all headed to our local park. There is nothing better than seeing a HAPPY mom playing with her kids. We threw the Frisbees around, took turns having hula hoop contests, and then we played ball together. Sometimes, we would make a game out of running the fastest to one of the parks biggest trees. Then the most fun thing for this mom, I went on the big swings. Even as a kid I could swing for hours. My mind would soar with ideas and imagination. To this day, I still feel the same way about swings, it’s such a wonderful “free feeling.”
Sometimes, you have to wear the hat of an Adventurer. You get to “play” the part for your kids and show them how to pick themselves up with good, simple, fun. Running outdoors, playing tag or having a family picnic. There are so many great adventures to take with your family, that cost very little. Sometimes you have to pick yourself up off the floor, and see life through the eyes of a child.
No matter how serious our problems are, don’t ever lose sight of the child-like experiences of life. Be open, be present, be silly, be an Adventurer!
Article by Laurie Cesario-Overton
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