Share Your Story | Thriving Single Parents | Choice Moms | Widows | Single Fathers
Being a single mother to my three children has been very hard on me. I'm the process of separating from my spouse, and my children and I have lost everything, including our home and our car. But I'm proud to say that we are beginning to regain our emotional stability.
It hasn't been easy, and I do not have a big supportive family. In fact, I have no one but myself and my children. I also work full time and have a long commute.
One accomplishment that I'm really proud of so far is that I've stuck with counseling, for myself and my children, which has been really helpful.
~Dannielle
I thought marriage would heal the disappointment and doubt that plagued my adolescent years. When it didn't, I turned to heavy bouts of drinking. After years of wallowing in my own self-pity and loathing, I sought counseling and worked on co-dependency, anger issues, and self esteem. At the same time, I also quit drinking! Finally, I began to face my future with determination.
However, when my therapist recommended that my husband and I seek marriage counseling, my husband was not interested. His response was "If you're not happy, then you know where the door is." At that point I knew that our journey together had ended.
With a six-year-old son and a two-year-old daughter by my side, I returned to Pennsylvania, where I grew up. With my mother's support, I became a stay-at-home working mom and to built a successful home-based business.
It wasn't easy. We lived in a seventy-two foot, single wide trailer. Meals consisted of TV dinners or macaroni and cheese, and child support was very sporadic. In addition, we incurred the extra expense of being in and out of the courts over a period of many years.
However, our sense of peace and love for one another made those times more than worth it! Eighteen years later I'm still single, still sober, and have a successful business. Through God's faithfulness and grace, we not only survived, but we thrived. If I can do it by the grace of God, so can you. There is joy in the journey, and life is good!
