I have never been a huge fan of the *Fourth of July* in its traditional sense with the firecrackers and heavy drinking. What I can wrap my head around however, is the “Independence Day” part of the celebration. While I know my history well enough to appreciate the founding fore-folk and all the work they did to bring about our republic, “Independence Day” also has strong meaning to me as a single parent…
If I was to pick one word that describes single parents and single parent families, it would probably be “independent.” Many of us are completely self-supporting and there are many single parents who do not get any financial or emotional support from any one else. They are the glue that holds their families together and while it may be tough some times and lonely at other times, they are definitely living and independent life.
Many of us have had to struggle and go through great troubles in order to be independent. We have been through abusive relationships or had to fight for custody or even our own survival. Independence did not come easily or cheap and it is well worth celebrating. Any way that we can appreciate all the ways that we stand on our own two feet and take care of ourselves and our loved ones is inspiring. Why not use the “Fourth of July” as a personal celebration of independence? After all, like all of those struggling folks 200+ years ago, we too have had to scrap and fight and dig down in order to see what we are truly made of; we single parents too have learned how to not only “be” independent, but how to make the most of the blessings and responsibilities that come with it. Happy Independence Day to all of the single parents out there!