With today being Mother’s Day, I thought I’d share something a little more personal: What It’s Like Being Raised by a Single Mother. My parents got divorced when I was a baby. While my mom did get re-married when I was 10 years old to the man I consider my father, I do still feel that I was raised by a single mother. This post is not to say my upbringing was better or worse than anyone else’s. I just wanted to share my experience and shed some light on what it’s like being raised by a single mother. I was inspired to write this post because of my amazing mother.
“I never lacked anything in life.”
The first thing I wanted to mention was that I never lacked anything in life. My mom worked extremely hard to provide a beautiful life for both me and my sister. We had an amazing childhood and I wouldn’t change a thing about it. We were fortunate enough to grow up in a large, warm home in California. We always celebrated our birthdays in our backyard pool with family and friends from school. To this day my childhood home is a go-to hang out spot for reunions with my childhood friends. I feel so fortunate and proud that my mom was able to provide such an amazing home for us. I will forever remember that house fondly as it hosted countless birthday, wedding parties, and other family events throughout my life.
“Someone was always there for the things that mattered.”
When I think back to my childhood, I remember two main things. First, I distinctly remember my mom traveling for work. She went on international business trips while I was a kid, and still does to this day. I remember family or babysitters looking after us during those times. I don’t have any bad memories about my mom traveling and being away. I just remember that being a fact of life: mom had to travel for work.
The second thing is that someone was always there for the things that mattered. This seems impossible given what I just said, but it’s just what I remember. When I was in primary school, I often received awards during the quarterly ceremonies. Even though my mom had a full-time job, she was at almost every ceremony to applaud my achievements. Whenever she couldn’t make it, my aunt was there instead. It’s only now as an adult I can fully appreciate how hard working my mom was (and still is), while also being relentlessly supportive.
What 8-year-old me wanted
If you couldn’t already tell, I’m extremely appreciative of my mom and the life she worked so hard to give me. That being said, I do have a few memories of when I wanted something different from her. When I was in grade school I sometimes wished she was a stay-at-home mom. Eight-year-old me wanted a mom that organized class parties and someone who could volunteer on field trips. When I was a competitive gymnast, I sometimes had to carpool with my teammates. I remember feeling disappointed when my parents couldn’t see me compete, but often times the locations were quite far. Looking back I know my mom did the best she could. She made it to as many events as she could. I’m definitely grateful my mom was not a stay-at-home mom and wasn’t at every school event. I’m pretty sure those kids resented their parents for being too present. I always felt her love and support whether she was there in person or not.
Lessons Learned
Being raised by a single mother has definitely shaped me into the woman I am today. Without that upbringing, I’m not sure neither my sister nor I would be as fearless and fiercely independent as we are today. Seeing my mom go to work everyday taught me a strong work ethic and extreme professionalism. I will forever be grateful for her emphasis on the importance of education and a happy home space. She instilled in me my love of travel. Seeing her passion for her family and the effort she puts in to stay connected is beyond admirable.
Thank you, Ma
Thank you, Ma for being who you are. Thank you for being the best mom I could ever imagine. Everything I do is to make you proud.
Thank you all for allowing me to share this part of my life with you. I hope you enjoyed this insight into my upbringing. It’s not the entire story, but just some highlights. I’d love to know your mom-story. Feel free to share your story, or simply how you’re celebrating Mother’s Day down in the comments below.
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