In the first trimester of my pregnancy with my daughter, I faced the reality that I would not be able to to create the conditions for myself or my baby to thrive if I stayed in the relationship with her father. The best option given was to accept the blessing and curse of single motherhood. While accepting the roles of two parents as one, I simultaneously committed to allowing for this role to be an opportunity for my own expansion and shift towards genuine self responsibility rather than a path to martyrdom and bitterness.

At times single motherhood has been excruciating. Other times it’s been ecstatic. While there are some unique difficulties that come with being solely responsible for a little one, most of what I have to say about my experience is not specific to those of us who are single. We live in a time and a culture that is oversaturated with material resources, but profoundly lacking in wisdom and authentic connection. Mothers living in the same households as their children’s fathers are not necessarily better resourced than those of us who do not. So, while I come from the experience of single motherhood, what I have to share is for all mothers who sense that there is a better way than the obvious way, but aren’t looking to reinvent the wheel by themselves on top of everything else they’re doing.

The writings below come from my own process of self examination and seeking out wisdom, tools, and experiences to help me adapt to being a mother in a culture that widely undervalues nurturance, slowness, beauty, and invisible acts of courage.