The Real Toughest Job

Anyone who has had the job knows that motherhood is the toughest job in the world. It is 24/7/365 with no monetary compensation and very little praise for a job well done. There is no training manual and very little opportunity to learn from past experience because each situation and child are so very different. In spite of all that it is the very best job anyone could have, but I don't think it is the real "toughest job in the world". To me, that title goes to the single moms out there.

My mom was a single mom when they were a pretty rare breed. My dad died when I was in fifth grade and that made her the only single mom that I knew. I didn't appreciate the difficulty of the job as I was growing up and probably still don't fully. She never got time off. When she had a tough day at work, she still had to come home and do all the house stuff. She didn't get to sit down and relax a bit because there were kids to feed, homework to go over, and laundry to be done. She is the one who had to figure out what to do about the leaky pipes, funny noise in the car, and loose railing on the stairs. She was always in charge of discipline. No one ever backed up her decisions on curfew or acceptable parties. Everything rested on her shoulders. All of that without any friends who could really understand the situation, any support groups, or any family closer than a two day drive. That is really the toughest job in the world.

Today is Mother's Day. We all know at least one single mom struggling to do her best to provide for her family, take care of the home, and raise her children all by herself. Let us all make a choice starting today to come alongside these heroic women and help them out. Make her a casserole they can eat now or freeze for later, send your teen son over to mow the lawn one Saturday, offer to babysit one evening so she can have some down time, or just give her a hug and tell her how awesome she is. These ladies deserve our repsect, love and support. Remind them that they have it.

To all of you, Happy Mother's Day.