Mother’s Day in a Single Parent Home

As a single mom, Mother’s Day was always the most dreaded holiday. To me it was worse than Christmas, Valentines or any other day. It didn’t help that it seemed like almost every year when my children were young Mother’s Day came on the weekend they visited their father. So I would trudge to church, sit alone, and watch all the lovely families celebrate their mothers.

I remember one year I stood in the church parking lot and watched all the families come out of the church and shout to each other, “Hey we’re taking our mom out for lunch. Why don’t you guys grab your mom and come with us.” Or, “The kids and I are going to celebrate mother’s day for Peggy at the Golden Corral. Why don’t you bring Betty and the kids? Our families can celebrate together.” I swear pain stabbed my heart just as if a knife had been laid to it.

I wondered why when church and pastors recognized mothers they only acknowledged the moms in complete families. I know some single moms who won’t even attend church on Mother’s Day.

A friend of mine shared that one Mother’s Day the minister at their church had all the moms and dads stand. He asked the dads to bring the moms to the front of the church where he prayed for the moms and her kids. My friend said the single moms were seated all over the sanctuary. As she looked around, she said every single mom left standing alone was weeping.

She said she wanted a husband so bad at that moment in time. She wanted a dad for her kids. She wanted to be a complete family.

At Single Parents About.com, they state that 84% of single parents are mothers. These are mighty women warriors. They walk the road alone and let me tell you it takes gumption, stamina, fortitude and the ability to exist on hardly any sleep.

Take a minute to search out the single moms in your congregation this Sunday, and if they are sitting alone, offer to sit with them. If you have room at your table, invite a single mom to join your family for lunch.

Jesus loved the widow and orphan. How about you?

This article is updated and adapted from an article originally published on Divorce Ministry 4 Kids on May 10, 2013.