National Single Parent Day
Once upon a time, my fairy tale marriage ended. Yes, that’s right. There was to be no “happily ever after” for me. Not with my first husband.
At just 21 years old, my first husband and I vowed to love each other and be together “forever.” Little did I realize that his “forever” meant until I had our daughter four years later.
She entered this world a tiny 5 lb 15 1/2 oz bundle of absolute love and joy! I had a rough time in the delivery room, but after 17 hours, this precious little blue eyed baby girl entered this world ever so quietly. She never cried. She just grunted. I’ll admit that I was beyond frightened at this point that something was wrong with my beautiful baby girl. As the doctor and nurse worked on her to clear her airway, I grew weak after having my blood pressure drop, and I started to cry. All I could do was beg the staff to let me hold my baby. Please … I just want to hold my baby. And, instantly my blood pressure started to rise the moment they placed her in my arms.
Love at first sight. Actually, I was already in love with her the moment I found out I was pregnant, but I fell deeper in love with her when I saw her for the very first time. Ten perfect little fingers and toes, and a slightly misshapen cone head from the birth canal, she was all I ever wanted in this life!
A few days after delivery, we were able to go home where she more than made up for her lack of vocal skills at birth. My darling had a set of lungs on her, let me tell you! And … she hated bath time! There was no soothing her with the water. Instead, she screamed, and she cried … every … single … time. Sponge baths … full baths … it didn’t make a difference. But … I still loved her with all of my heart and would do anything in the world for her.
Shortly after her first birthday, my husband announced that he did not want to be a husband or a father any more. He wanted his freedom.
Shocked and filled with disbelief, I knew I had no time to sit and wallow in self pity. I had a precious little baby girl to take care of. She depended on me, and I would NOT let her down! No matter what happened in my marriage regarding his lack of commitment to us, I was committed to HER … and I still am to this very day. I would move Heaven and Earth for this blonde haired, blue eyed girl.
I prayed, and I begged God to help me care for this little darling as I was forced into the role of a single parent. I never thought I would be in this position, after all … we were “in love” and “promised forever” to each other.
There would be no happily ever after. Not with him.
My daughter and I started a new chapter of our lives together with her just a little one year old who had just learned how to walk. She took her first steps as a toddler … and I took my first steps into single parenthood. Her first steps were certainly more cause for celebration than mine, and that is what I focused on; her!
I became Mama and Daddy all rolled into one. I was her shelter, her protector, her everything … just like Jesus was for me. I knew that I could not go down that road alone, and I did not have to. Sure, there was times that I felt completely alone, but I remembered that Jesus was never going to leave me, unlike a man that vowed his love for me had. I knew that my strength came from God, and He would not fail. All things are possible with HIM … and I put the past in the past and forged ahead to our future together.
My goal in life was to make sure that my little darling did not want for anything. Although he left, I did not want our standard of living to go down any. I wanted to remain in the house she had always known from birth, and thank God that was possible when I was able to borrow money from the bank to keep the house! After paying him his equity in the house and refinancing the home into my name, we were set. No one could EVER try to take this home from us again. It was ours; my daughters and mine.
While I’ll admit that money was tight, we survived. God saw to it that we would. I praise Him for how He kept us during that time. While we did not always have our “wants” fulfill, He saw to it that our “needs” were more than met! I thank Him for that!
I realize that no one ever grows up and thinks, “Hmmm, I’ll just be a single parent.” Some times, though, life happens, and no matter what our hopes and dreams were … reality slaps us in the face, and we are just forced to deal with it. While it may not have been the hand we had hoped for, it was the one we were dealt. And God provided for us.
If you are a single mom or dad, I applaud you for ALL that you are doing! Your child/ren depend on you, and I have faith in YOU not to let them down. You are their everything, and they cling to you for reassurance in uncertain times. Be there, encouraging them every step of the way. Don’t burden them with adult issues, just let them know that God will provide. That is all they need to know, and rest in the assurance that HE WILL!
Fast forward several years, and my blue eyed baby girl is now 19 years old! She has a firm foundation, and I love her more than she will ever know! We made it! She is technically no longer my “baby” as she’s an adult now at this age, but she will ALWAYS be my baby no matter how old she gets.
IF you’re new to this single parent life, take heart and know that you will be okay. It will all work out. You may question “How” at this stage of the game. But just don’t stop to think about what has happened or how big of a step you think this is going to be doing it all on your on. Have faith in your ability to be the provider for your child/ren. I survived, and you will, too! God will help you, if you just ask. I promise you. It will all be worth it in the end when your child/ren grow up and turn out to be responsible adults. You will realize that every ounce of your struggles were worth it and then some because of the person they have become. You will grow in all of this, too. You will no longer be the scared 25 year old that doesn’t know how they will make ends meet. You will grow and change because you HAVE made ends meet, and you HAVE provided for your child/ren. You will have more strength inside of you than you ever thought possible, all because your child/ren are watching … and one day, they will look back and realize that you truly were their everything and appreciate the sacrifices you made so that they did not do without.
For all of the single parents, keep up the good work. You have a lot on your shoulders as Mom and Dad, but YOU can do this! I am living proof, and I thank God for His hand on mine and my daughter’s lives these past 19 years.
Happy National Single Parent Day. I celebrate you and all that you do behind the scenes to ensure your child/ren have a good life.
Much love to you and yours! From one once single parent to another.
Spring In The South
With warmer temperatures in the 80’s this week, we can safely say that it is Spring in the South now!
Hallelujah!
Praise God!
I can hear the choir of angels singing now!
Can you tell that we are extremely overjoyed now that the harsh winds of Winter have blown out of here?
Oh, I know! All of you up North are laughing hysterically over the Southerners down here complaining about “harsh winds of Winter.” We aren’t used to it, and frankly, I don’t see how you guys LIVE where you have to shovel all of that snow! And let’s not even talk about when temperatures are way below freezing there. We cringe when the weatherman talks of just snow flurries here and the possibility of ice on bridges!
Ah, but Spring has sprung!
Every outdoor surface is covered in a blanket of … green pollen. Not as romantic as sitting by the fire up North with a blanket of freshly fallen white snow on the ground.
But, let’s not talk about Winter.
Spring is HERE!!!
I know … there is still a chance of a “cold snap” before Easter, as always. Just when the trees start flowering – like my Bradford Pear Trees I’ve been waiting FOREVER to see bloom … and now they ARE … with the dogwoods beginning to come to life as well. Imagine my excitement yesterday when I realized they are getting ready to burst forth in a few weeks, too!
This weekend we rode our horses through God’s beautiful country in the Charleston area! Does it get any better than that?! With trees lined with gray moss hanging overhead, we felt as if we were truly in the enchanted forest. Ah, but this was no fairy tale. This was real life on the grounds of Middleton Place!
Middleton Place is a National Historic Landmark, and we had the pleasure of riding our horses here! No, we couldn’t actually ride up close or around the house or the gardens, but we were still on their land with beauty surrounding us nonetheless!
While we could only see a small portion of the house, which was built in 1755, from the trails, we were excited when we were able to capture this picture from across the road at Bailey’s Field.
We rode our horses around ponds where we saw Canadian Geese, ducks, and about three alligators right there in a row. I contemplated on what to do because I knew that we were bound to see an alligator with all of the ponds around. We were riding close to the water’s edge, too, so I was trying to decide whether to tell my daughter when I spotted one sunning on the bank or to just go on by as if I didn’t notice. I finally decided to tell her as I was afraid the alligator’s swift movement off the bank and into the water would cause a splash which would startle or spook our horses. I tried to break it to her as gently as possible, but she was consumed with fear as soon as the first alligator scurried off the bank and into the water faster than anything we’ve ever seen before! She began to cry, and no amount of reassurance from either my husband nor I would help at that point. We came upon another one within minutes from the first, and it entered the water with lightening speed. The third alligator, however, was soaking up the sun and did not even notice (or care) that we were any where around. My daughter’s tears quickly dried as we lead our horses away from the pond and on to higher ground. I tried to tell her that the alligators are probably just as afraid of us (with the exception of the one that didn’t acknowledge our existence) as we are of them! As long as we don’t provoke them, we should be fine. That helped, as the very next day we rode around some of the ponds on the right hand side of the trails. She was fine then as we only spotted one or two in the middle of the ponds and not on the banks as we passed by.
I lost track of the number of times I threw my head back and said, “Oh my gosh … I LOVE this place! It is soooo beautiful!”
From vast ponds to wildlife and on to fields full of Yellow Carolina Jasmine, we were in awe of ALL of God’s creations!
As we got further into the woods, we stumbled upon a little bridge, completely safe for horse travels, across a little creek. As soon as you crossed over the bridge, you immediately had to climb uphill. We had the best time at this spot with our horses trotting up the hill, so much that we went back to this spot a second time just for the thrill of going back up again. It is hard for me to contain my excitement, and I cannot hold my laughter in at this point. I laugh because I’m happy, and I feel FREE on the back of my horse! It is truly one of the best feelings in this world!
If you’ve experienced your share of Winter Blues, we encourage you to get out in nature at the first opportunity you have with warmer weather in your area. Let yourself stand in awe of God and the beauty He has provided for us all. I am constantly amazed at Our Creator. He thought of every single detail, didn’t He? Of course, He did!
And we bow our head and thank Him for ALL of His many blessings in our lives.
A Little Taste of Heaven… In a Bag of Popcorn
Great American Popcorn Company Main Street Galena, IL
Nestled in a scenic valley in the far Northwest corner of Illinois, sits the quaint little town of Galena Illinois. There is a very special place among the shops and eateries that is a popcorn lover’s dream; The Great American Popcorn Company.
The city of Galena got its start as a boomtown for lead mining in the early 1800’s. The city became known as the home of General and later President Ulysses Grant when Grant moved there to work in his father’s store on Main Street. Today, Galena has all the charm of a 19th Century town with its vintage buildings on Main Street and grand houses standing upon the hills of the city. Today, Galena is a wonderful destination for a weekend getaway from the stresses of the work week. The downtown area is adorned with shops and eateries with such a variety as to please most everyone.
Great American Popcorn Company
For years, I heard friends talk about Galena and how they loved to go there. It is only about an hour and a half from where I live. Yet, I had set aside the time to go there until about ten years ago. Once I stepped on to Main Street my nose caught the wonderful smell of one of my favorite things; popcorn. I have only two vices; diet Wild Cherry Pepsi and popcorn. I felt like Toucan Sam as I “followed my nose” down the street and into the Great American Popcorn Company. It was if I had stepped into a dream as there was popcorn in flavors that I never imagined such as Zesty Ranch and Parmesan and Garlic. Galena instantly became one of my favorite places in the world.
Dave & Zach Lewis
The Great American Popcorn Company was started over 20 years ago by Dave Lewis and his wife Cathie. They run the business with their children Zach and Victoria. It is easy to tell that they all have a passion for their products and their customers. You can sample of any of the popcorn flavors in the store. Over the years they have come up with hundreds of flavors of popcorn; many of which are long time favorites and always in stock such as the Galena Mix; a tasty combination of cheddar cheese and caramel corn.
Extensive selection of popcorn
On my first visit, I wasn’t too sure about some of the flavor combinations and if they would taste good. You may feel that way too when looking through their selection. Don’t! You will miss out on an amazing taste treat. Some of my current favorites are: Thin Mint (yes, just like the Girl Scout Cookie), Zesty Ranch, Peanut Butter Cup, Cookies and Cream, Molasses (just like ginger snap cookies), and a long-time favorite of mine White Cheddar. They even have a flavor that was created at the request of the hostess of this blog, Shirley. Shirley has a passion for brownies so Dave came up with Brownie Explosion. To say it is amazing in taste is an understatement; especially if you like brownies.
Mouth watering fudge
Popcorn is not the only wonderful treat you can get at the Great American Popcorn Company. They have homemade fudge in a wide variety of flavors. Today I got to taste a new flavor; Dark Chocolate with Raspberry Wine. Fortunately, I only had a small sample otherwise I could easily see myself eating a whole block in one sitting. Some of the other fudge flavors they have include Birthday Cake, Mint, Peanut Butter, Honey Graham, Praline, Carrot Cake and many. In addition to fudge, they have variety of other candies, Jelly Bellies, ice cream and an extensive selection of sodas.
Wide variety of boutique sodas
I could go on but I hear a bag of Thin Mint calling my name.
I highly recommend making a trip to Galena to see the sites and get some popcorn. If you can’t get to their store, check out their website at www.greatpopcorn.com or look them up on Facebook.
“Friends don’t let friends eat microwave popcorn”
As a last thought, thank you Dave and family for bring a little taste of heaven into my world. See you soon.
“Friends don’t let friends eat microwave popcorn.”
