By Anthony Corona
There are many different kind of Mothers in our world, from biological or foster, to the furry baby moms and to the amazing women who take others under their wings to fill in gaps that families may leave. My own mother is a complex woman who doesn’t make it easy to celebrate the amazing gift that is motherhood. She raised me to believe in love in all its many ways and forms. Then there are those mothers who have to do the job of both mother and father, and I want to tell you about one of those amazing mothers.
My friend Heather is a single mom of two incredible girls. Heather lost her husband several years ago and has had to be both mother and father to her girls ever since. Heather and I met the first day of high-school during homeroom and a life-long friendship began. In the beginning it was more a bickering kind of friendship due to the loud and very direct nature of our personalities. We bickered just as much as we found commonality, but under it all a deep and all-encompassing respect was born and flourished.
A few years ago after losing her husband Heather packed up her girls and headed to Florida in search of a better life for her family. Now, after making that big move myself, I cannot fathom the courage it took for her to leave everything she knew to make that enormous change. She had no real time to grieve with two tiny girls who depended on her for everything. She had to just keep living, moving and making a life for her family her girls could be proud of.
Having the privilege of spending time with her and her girls I can say without a doubt she is doing an amazing job as Mom-plus. The girls are intelligent, compassionate and so well-grounded. This is a credit to the love their mother has for them. She would step in front of a fast moving bus to protect them. She is the most involved and energetic mother I know. I am so proud to call her my friend.
No matter what obstacle or situation life has handed her, Heather has not only endured but triumphed. I cannot imagine what it must feel like to be the only one responsible for two amazing kids. To be the only parent and to have to face it all with only the memory of love of her husband to sustain through the rough times. She is strong and still so very compassionate. She has taken the harsh things life has thrown at her and turned them into lessons that only add to her tool-box of parenting.
This Mother’s Day I celebrate my friend and all of the single mothers out there who keep their families going. In a year that has had so many challenges, my friend Heather inspires me to dig deep for my own courage, compassion and strength.
ACB Voices 