A Letter to a Single Mom
Dear Single Mom,
I know it can be very hard to live a life in gratitude.
Yes, I know it’s hard to find gratitude when your bank account says $1.50.
Yes, I know it’s hard to find gratitude when your car breaks down.
Yes, I know it’s hard to find gratitude when your children are being defiant.
Yes, I know it’s hard to find gratitude when you have to find gas money so you can get to work.
Yes, I know it’s hard to find gratitude when you don’t have your family locally to support you.
Yes, I know it’s hard to find gratitude when your child support check isn’t enough to cover a week of daycare.
I know, I know, I know, God knows I know how hard it is to find gratitude as a single mom. But I am about to let you in on a secret that I have learned. Ready?!?
“To live a happy life is to live a life in gratitude”.
You have to find something to be grateful for no matter what is going on in your life. It’s not always easy because as a single mom, you are often juggling work, children, and responsibilities of a household. You are often tired, overwhelmed, little to no support with a never-ending “To Do List”. And I admit it wasn’t easy for me as well. I had to make the conscious decision to focus on things to be grateful for. I had to change my focus to the few things that I did have instead of many things that I didn’t.
I had to change the way I looked at things so things could change.
I once heard Oprah say she starts her day by saying “Thank You” as soon as she opens her eyes in the morning. I thought to myself what a small gesture but a powerful way to show gratitude. So I started making the conscious decision to say “Thank You” when I opened my eyes every morning. As time went on, morning after morning, my simple “Thank You” turned into
“Thank you for another day”
“Thank you for my life”
“Thank you that I can see with my eyes”,
“Thank you for keeping us safe through the night”.
I just couldn’t say enough “Thank You(s)” when I opened my eyes.
I also had to make the conscious decision to find time to show gratitude. As a single mom, every second of my day was filled with a task.
So I decided to dedicate the time during my commute to work to my time to express my gratitude and also to pray and meditate. My radio is off, I clear my thoughts and begin simply by saying “Thank you God for your grace and mercy “.
As the days and weeks went by I noticed yet another change. I began to look at situations differently. I learned how to turn negative situations into positive ones.
I was grateful for that $1.50 in my account. It meant my account was not negative and NO NSF FEES!!
I was grateful that when my car broke down. I had OnStar, so the tow to the dealer was a covered service. Plus what was wrong with my car was covered under warranty and the dealer gave me a new Chevy Tahoe to use until it was fixed. That meant a free car rental!
Don’t get me wrong, there are still a lot of things in my life that I still don’t have. And grumbling about them is still easier than finding something to be grateful for. However, I have noticed that my daily practice of gratitude has made a difference in my life and happiness.
I encourage you to make a conscious effort to live a life of gratitude. Learn to be grateful no matter what is going on in your life. Start a daily routine of gratitude by simply saying “Thank you” as soon as you open your eyes. Stop complaining about the things you don’t have, and start being thankful for the things that you do. Such as your health, your children, a roof over your head, electricity, your job, etc. I know it won’t be easy but developing an “attitude of gratitude” is one of the simplest ways to improve your satisfaction with life. And remember
“To live a happy life is to live a life in gratitude”.